Tag Archives: soldier life

Book Review: “A Volunteer in the Regulars: The Civil War Journal and Memoir of Gilbert Thompson, US Engineer Battalion”

Posted on December 14, 2020 by Kevin Pawlak

Published soldiers’ letters and diaries are nothing new to Civil War bookshelves. But editor Mark A. Smith’s latest addition to The University of Tennessee Press’ Voices of the Civil War series stands out among thousands of enlisted men’s published letters, … Continue reading →

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Along The River: Corporal Lynch’s Summer Breaks

Posted on July 23, 2020 by Sarah Kay Bierle

Charles Lynch’s diary is one of my favorites for a Union soldier’s perspective on infantry fighting in the Shenandoah Valley during 1864. He promoted to corporal after the Battle of Piedmont and served with the 18th Connecticut. It’s also one … Continue reading →

Posted in Common Soldier, Primary Sources | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

“And now I am going to tell you what I think about soldiering”

Posted on August 19, 2016 by Chris Mackowski

From my ancestor, Sheldon S. Appleby—the letter that began my hunt earlier this week for information about a Civil War ancestor I didn’t know I had. Suffolk, V.A. Feb. 6th 1863 Dear Father and Mother,

Posted in Common Soldier, Personalities | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments