Southern Grit: Sensing the Siege at Petersburg

In Southern Grit Michael Martin provides a unique, intimate, human portrayal of the experiences of Confederate soldiers and civilians who endured the ten months’ siege of Petersburg in 1864 and 1865. Using the records of his great-grandfather Younger Longest and Longest’s comrades in the 26th Virginia Regiment, the author brings …

In Southern Grit Michael Martin provides a unique, intimate, human portrayal of the experiences of Confederate soldiers and civilians who endured the ten months’ siege of Petersburg in 1864 and 1865. Using the records of his great-grandfather Younger Longest and Longest’s comrades in the 26th Virginia Regiment, the author brings home anew the marvelous devotion, determination, endurance and “grit” of the Confederate infantryman of the ranks.

In this time of vicious onslaught against our heritage, here is a message much needed: We are right to celebrate the memory of such Southern people. Says Martin: “Going inside the mind of Younger Longest gives a deep and detailed look at the grit, faith, and resolve that make the Southern people so unique.”

MICHAEL MARTIN is a teacher, writer, and historian with experience working in both public and private schools. He currently resides in Charleston, South Carolina, with his wife and daughter, where he specializes in early Virginia history, genealogy, and the emerging field of sensory history.