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The Story Of A Common Soldier Of Army Life In The Civil War, 1861-1865 (2000)

by Leander Stillwell(Favorite Author)

3.95 of 5 Votes: 1

languge

English

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review 1: This book is a fascinating, in-depth look into the life (as it states in the title) of a common soldier during the Civil War. Mr. Stillwell relates many stories of the 61st Illinois Infantry, including their parts in battles such as Little Rock and Murfreesboro, as well as little anecdotes as concerns the everyday life of a soldier at that time. This is a great read for anyone interested in the Civil War, in particular the Army of the Cumberland in relation to the rebellious South. Highly recommended.
review 2: This is a fine account of the life of a Union soldier during the American Civil War. Much available to us in our reading about the ACW focuses on battles and leadership. This autobiographical piece does not skimp on battle or its horrors (though like al... morel writers of the period Stillwell doesn't emphasize the gory details). In fact, as another reviewer noted, one of the interesting aspects of the work is the author's discussion of his first battle and his realization that life and death on the battlefield was just a roll of the dice. His discussion of food is interesting as well. We know about the ubiquitous hardtack, coffee, and bacon. But, Stillwell laments the troops inability in the early stages of the war to cook Yankee beans (navy beans) or rice properly. The former is most unfortunate because the beans, when cooked, are often hard on one's digestion. It is these sorts of details really give one a picture of a soldier's life in the ACW. It wasn't all blood and guts. Much of it was marching thru mud with their trousers rolled up, trying to get a decent meal, or finding a dry place to sleep.Another element that is interesting is the seeming disdain of the foot soldiers for artillery barrages. They truly feared cannon at close range firing canister or grape. Beyond that, they had much, much greater fear of musketry. Though he doesn't mention it, the much lauded bayonet charge was a rarity as well. Few died from bayonet wounds; it was almost always (for battle casualties) rifle fire.Also, Stillwell's narrative gives proper deference to the greatest killer in the ACW, disease. He mentions multiple instances where camps were decimated by diseases, mostly diarrheal. This is really appropriate since roughly two-thirds of the military casualties in the ACW resulted from disease, not battle.The book provides a nicely detailed and balanced view of the life of "the common soldier" in the ACW. I recommend it highly. less

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