Writing & Fighting the Civil War: Soldier Correspondence to the New York Sunday Mercury

by Brian C. Pohanka

Book Overview

500 Union Soldier Letters from the Battlefield. Eager for first-hand news from the battlefield, the editors of the New York Sunday Mercury asked the departing volunteers to write and "inform us of any... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1883926130
• ISBN13: 9781883926137
• Release Date: September 2000
• Publisher: Belle Grove Publishing Company
• Length: 377 Pages
• Weight: 2.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 7.3" x 10.3"

Customer Reviews

An Incredible Book!

With all the books published on the Civil War, it's hard tofind something NEW, but this book brings to light a collection of soldiers' letters unpublished since the Civil War. Not only are the letters themselves new and fresh toCivil War scholars and enthusiasts, but Bill Styple has donean excellent job of editing them. The Civil War is presentedin a new light. One of the best Civil War books in many years; if you like to read about the Civil War, buy this book!

History Comes Alive

This book is a great addition to the serious Civil War reader's library. Being able to read the battle descriptions, thoughts and feelings of those who actually participated in the war is always enlightening, bringing the reader a different reality than that of the historian who writes about the Civil War with the benefit of hindsight and without the benefit of personal experience. The compilation of letters in this book - in chronological and logical order - brings alive the crucial battles in the Eastern theatre of the Civil War. The only slight deficiency is that very few letters from the Eastern soldiers fighting in Western armies are included. My suggestion: have this book at hand and read what the soldiers had to say about a specific event or battle immediately after reading narrative descriptions of the same event or battle by today's leading historians, for a complete view. Overall, a wonderful book and highly recommendable to the "advanced" Civil War reader.