Sergeant Alfred Covell Woods
The letters and diaries of Alfred Covell Woods are probably the best continuous personal account of the war by any member of the Anderson Zouaves. The letters cover Woods service in the Anderson Zouaves from May 1861 when he enlisted up until a month before he died at the Battle of the Wilderness on May 6, 1864. The letters and diaries were sold on Ebay between April and May 2007. Transcripts of the letters and partial transcripts of the diaries which were posted on the auction site have been included in the letters and diaries pages of this site.
* The New York daily newspapers reported that Company “C” mustered in on Monday July 1, 1861, however, the official date is July 3, 1861.
** Captain William N. Hathaway (Co. “C”) is recorded as having enlisted all the privates of Company “C” so this may be incorrect.
*** August 15, 1861 was an extra, late, mustering-in date for the Anderson Zouaves. It is possible that a lot of early enlistments had left the regiment because of the slow progress it was making in being supplied and sent to Washington. These men may have returned around this date and a major reorganisation may have taken place with many recruits being shuffed between companies and many promotions taking place around this time.