Favorite Enlistedman's Memoir

[adamandnicole]

I am always on the lookout for new first hand soldier accounts. I'd be interested to hear from everyone what their favorites are. I'll put my vote in for "A Mississippi Rebel In the Army of Northern Virginia"--Davey Holt,16th MS--hands down the most descriptive soldier narrative I've ever read. I also greatly enjoyed "Weep Not For Me Dear Mother" --Eli Pinson Landers, 16th GA. Both of these titles do a great job describing every aspect of soldier life w/ good descriptions of uniforms,equippage, combat food etc.

To me, no amount of internet research comes close to the information you get straight from the soldiers who were there.

Adam Dickerson

[brown]

Re: Favorite Enlistedman's Memoir

The Civil War memoir of Philip Daingerfield Stephenson, D.D.
He served in the 13th Arkansas and the 5th Company Washington Artillery

Also Loyal Mountain Troopers. Two (formerly serialized, reprinted in a book in the 1990s) memoirs of officers in the 2nd and 3rd Tennessee Cav, US.

[tenfed1861]

Re: Favorite Enlistedman's Memoir

Diary of a Confederate Soldier-John Jackman
Johnny Green of the Orphan Brigade-Johnny Green
Sketches of the Orphan Brigade-George Hodge
(seeing a pattern)

[Kenneth Moran]

Re: Favorite Enlistedman's Memoir

Soldiering: The Civil War Diary of Rice C. Bull
The Civil War Notebook of Daniel Chisholm: A Chronicle of Daily Life in the Union Army
A War to Petrify the Heart: The Civil War Letters of a Dutchess County, N.Y. Volunteer

[Prodical Reb]

Re: Favorite Enlistedman's Memoir

Letters to Amanda; letters from Marion Hill Fitzpatrick to his wife Amanda; Sgt in Co K, 45th GA from April '62 til he dies on 6 April '65 of wounds sustained in battle on 2 April '65 at 5 forks I think. Great 1st person account. Furloughs, caring for regts and Co ill and wounded, transportation, home front strife, family, food, rations and just getting by as a soldier in general.

[TexCavly]

Re: Favorite Enlistedman's Memoir

"Rebal Private: Front and Rear" by William Fletcher. He served with the 5th Texas Infantry in the East, was wounded twice and transferred to the 8th Texas Cavalry in the west. He was never paroled just went home.

[texandrummer61]

Re: Favorite Enlistedman's Memoir

Although I have several other favorites that describe more of the war, "A Detailed Minutiae of the Soldier's Life" by Carlton McCarthy (Richmond Howitzers) will always be my favorite. Aside from the candid descriptions of every aspect of the soldier's life, the sketches are great, and super detailed!

I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is super interested in the later portion of the war, or the Army of Northern Va.

[Beegum]

Re: Favorite Enlistedman's Memoir

I have two oldies but goodies Hardtack and Coffee by John Billings and Co. Aytch by Sam Watkins

[Dan Wambaugh]

Re: Favorite Enlistedman's Memoir

Our boys: the personal experiences of a soldier in the Army of the Potomac" By Alonzo F. Hill 8th Pennsylvania Reserves.

Written during the war, while the memories were still fresh, this is easily the best memoir I've ever read. Hill was wounded at Antietam and once he returned home immediately started writing this book. Published in 1864 it gives a clearer picture of the war than all of the post war romanticized memoirs combined.

And it's available free from Google books.

[dculgan]

Re: Favorite Enlistedman's Memoir

"Recollections of a Veteran or Four Years in Dixie" by J. Polk Racine. 5th Maryland, Co. I. As far as I know its only available from the Historical Society of Cecil County (Maryland) but its a great read with a lot of amusing anecdotes. "Frenchie" Racine was my hero when it comes to making the best of a four year enlistment, for example showing up for dress parade sans shoes with blackened feet on a dare. I'd recommend it especially to anyone in northeast Maryland, Delaware, or southeast Pennsylvania for the local references. Dave Culgan

[4VADRUMMER]

Re: Favorite Enlistedman's Memoir

Mine is Four Years in the Stonewall Brigade by John Casler. John was in the 33rd Virginia Company A. He provides one of the most detailed accounts of the war I've ever read. I've read everything else you guys have mentioned above and I'm telling you this book is the bread winner! Some of the stories he tells are so detailed and so full of action you just can't put the book down. He also has a couple neat stories about General Jackson. He also provides a great Privates view of what being in a battle was like and what it was like to be a prisoner in Ft. McHenry. I'm telling you READ THIS BOOK!

Berry Benson's Civil War book was a really good read too and goes high on my list. I'd have to agree with the Gentleman above and say Rebel Privates front and rear is an awesome book too! I love how he was shingling a roof the day he went off to war and finished shingling that same roof the day he returned home (four years later)like he had never been gone.

[GWagner]

Re: Favorite Enlistedman's Memoir

Detailed Minutae of Life in the Army of Northern Virginia by Carlton McCarthy

[Andy Ackeret]

Re: Favorite Enlistedman's Memoir

Not a memoir, but a journal kept during the war:

Four Years with the Iron Brigade, The Civil War Journal of William Ray, edited by Herdegen and Murphy.

[cwpilgrim]

Re: Favorite Enlistedman's Memoir

For US: probably Memoirs of a Dutch Mudsill by Otto, and The Civil War Diary of Wyman White.
For CS: toss up between Rebel Private Front and Rear by Fletcher, Val Giles book, and The Civil War Memoir of Philip Daingerfield Stephenson.

[Kanawha Riflemen]

Re: Favorite Enlistedman's Memoir

I have two Confederate books, the first is the Richmond Howitzers in the War: Four years campaigning with the Army of Northern Virginia, by Frederick S. Daniel. The second is the Story of a Cannoneer under Stonewall Jackson, by Edward Alexander Moore. For my Union reads, they are journals and both are not published, but the first is a day by day account of Joseph Wible, First Potomac Home Brigade, AKA Cole's Cavalry and Captain Albert M. Hunter's account of the War between the Sates also a member of Cole's Cavalry.

John Miller
South Mountain State Battlefield
Monterey Pass Battlefield, Washington Township