Company Aytch: Or, a Side Show of the Big Show

Company Aytch: Or, a Side Show of the Big Show by Sam Watkins is an objective recount of some of the most important moments and battles in the Civil War, the author himself taking an active part in the armed conflict, fighting on the side of the Confederate Army.

The book is divided in 17 chapters, each of them having a suggestive title, inspired by events that contributed to the military successes the parties engaged in the war. The action is narrated in the third person, although the author personally witnessed all the scenes he describes, as a soldier of the Company H, also known as the "Maury Greys".

The fact that, from the 120 men enlisted in the same company as Watkins, only seven survived to see the end of the war reflects the dimension of the catastrophic defeat the confederates suffered. More than that, the author states that, from the 3,200 soldiers of the regiment his company was part of, the 1st Tennessee Infantry, just 65 were alive at the end of the war.

Some of the battles that marked the evolution of the Civil War, such as those from Shiloh, Resaca, Chattanooga, Atlanta or Cheat Mountain are presented in detail, the sketches drawn by the author himself making the documentary value of the writing even greater.

The names of the most famous commanders in the Confederate Army are also mentioned, these being presented as common soldiers, with all their goods and bads and explaining why the book is recommended as reference material for high school students at history classes, when this period is discussed.