No More Gallant a Deed: A Civil War Memoir of the First Minnesota Volunteers

By James A. Wright

Book Overview

A perceptive and detailed Civil War memoir of the First Minnesota Regiment chronicling such famous battles as Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Gettysburg.

James A. Wright was an orderly sergeant in Company F of the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment in the Civil War. His memoir, based on his diaries and letters, is the fullest personal account of the battles, marches, and soldier life of one of the most renowned regiments in the Army of the Potomac. The First took part in every significant battle and action in the war in the East from 1861 to 1864. In remarkable detail, he describes the fighting at Bull Run, the Peninsula Campaign, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, and Bristoe Station. At Gettysburg, the First Minnesota halted the Confederate charge and suffered an 82 percent casualty rate. Wright's account of the battle is striking in its description of the horror the men felt at facing their foes, their determination to do their duty, and the shock of the loss of so many of their comrades.

With an eloquence rare in war memoirs, Wright recalls the long marches, the poor food, the inadequate shelter, the dedicated officers, the debilitating illnesses, the longing for home, and the sense of pride in carrying out the struggle to preserve the Union. For conveying what the Civil War meant to one man, it is unmatched.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1681340526
• ISBN13: 9781681340524
• Release Date: February 2017
• Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society Press
• Length: 468 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

A Splendid "I was there" account

War accounts are usually written from the top down. Here the account is from the ground-up, literally. Sgt Wright tells the story of his volunteer company, Co.F of the 1st Minnesota exactly like it is seen by the average groundpounder. Being a former Viet Nam era "grunt" and also coming from Wright's hometown of Red Wing, Mn, I was able to viscerally feel the physical discomforts of the men as they walked, froze,sweated and stumbled though the boredoms, confusions, terrors and thrills of their experiences. Wright (and the editor) did a masterful job of focusing the story from the perspective of the average participant in the war with just enough background to keep it all in context with the overall events. If you are interested in the Civil War from this sort of perspective, this is the book to read.

The story is grand, the prose simple, the details fascinate

This memoir of service with the First Minnesota recounts the sojourn of James Wright, from Red Wing, Minnesota through the battle of Gettysburg. Wright wrote the book long after his service, and his over-long monograph sat in the Minnesota Historical Society until edited and published in this book. The book starts as a slow read, but picks up and eventually begins to mesmerize the reader.Think of any major event of the day -- September 11th in New York, for example. How valuable will first person accounts be? A first person account of a major past event is very interesting for the details, the feel, the point of view. Company F was Wright's home. He missed the famous charge of the First Minnesota at Gettysburg, as his Company was off to the side suffering severe casualties of their own during the battle. The story is as grand, even with this "missed" moment.The editing is good, and preserves the author's tone. The book could have been even shorter, but with some effort during the opening chapters, the reader is well rewarded.

Excellent first person account of a union soldier

I was pleasantly surprised at the quality and content of this book. The author is Sergeant Wright of Co. F, First Minnesota Regiment. His writing is excellent. The editor has chosen to primarily include first person accounts while excluding most of the post war years analysis that often creep into such accounts.This book so effectively complements "The Last Full Measure - The Life and Death of the First Minnesota Volunteers" by Richard Moe. The Moe book uses first person accounts though it focuses on the broader picture. This book, written by a soldier, effectively details the life of the soldier - including day to day activities from finding food, water, and shelter to the incredible hardships of the march and battle. The First Minnesota Regiment fought in most of the civil war eastern battles from 1861-1863. It is noted for the highest union casualties at First Bull Run, as well as the highest casualties of any union regiment in the war (80%) at Gettysburg. The regiment has a brief appearance in the 2002 motion picture "Gods and Generals" - I was there for the filming although waiting to see the final production - fall 2002.The book also contains interesting events not in the Moe book including a great chapter detailing the time in New York city during the draft riots and the eventful winter trip back to Minnesota.