The BEST Memoir of the War?

[unionblue]

To All,

Excellent choices by all, but may I suggest a 'fictional' memoir of the late war?

Corporal Si' Klegg And His Pard : How They Lived And Talked, And What They Did And Suffered, While Fighting For The Flag, by Wilber F. Hinman, Late Lieutenant-Colonel Sixty-fifth Regiment, Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry.

I would offer this page at the beginning of the book to explain why I think this could be a 'memoir' worthy of anyones attention.

THE AUTHOR TO HIS READERS.

Many books have been written--and many more will be--upon subjects connected with the war for the Union. There is no end of histories--of campaigns and battles and regiments--and lives of prominent generals; but they do not portray the every-day life of the soldier. To do this, and this only, has been the aim of the author in "Corpoeal Si Klegg and his 'Pard.'"

This volume is not a history; nor is it a "story," in the usual acceptation of the word. "Si Klegg" and "Shorty," his "pard," are imaginary characters--though their prototypes were in every regiment--and Company Q, 200th Indiana, to which they belonged, is, of course, fictitious. Their haps and mishaps while undergoing the process of transformation that made them soldiers, and their diverse and constantly changing experiences on the march, the battle-field and the picket-line, in camp and bivouac, in hospital and prison, were those that entered directly into the daily life or observation of all the soldiers.

Carefully avoiding everything in the nature of burlesque and extravagance, the writer has aimed to present a truthful picture of "soldiering." He feels justified in the belief that such of his comrades as may read these pages will, at least, give him the credit of fidelity to the actual life of a million volunteers.

This book has not been written from hearsay. It was the writer's fortune to serve four years at the front, in a regiment which, with eleven hundred men on its rolls, from first to last, was reduced by the casualties of battle and the ravages of disease to one hundred and thirty, officers and men, present for duty at the time it was mustered out. It had traveled fifteen thousand miles--more than six thousand on foot. During the first year of his service the writer carried a musket and knapsack. These facts are mentioned only to show that he had abundant experience, without which it would be folly to attempt such a book as this.

The vivid memories of those four eventful years have supplied all the material. No other source has been drawn upon for information or suggestion. The author has made no attempt at literary embroidery, but has rather chosen the "free and easy" form of language that marked the intercourse of the soldiers, and therefore seemed most appropriate to the theme. He has tried to flavor the narrative with the spice of army life--for there was some "fun," though a great deal more of the reverse character--endeavoring to present the picture in all its varied hues.

Thinking it possible that some may read this volume who have no experimental knowledge of life in the army, the author has devoted pages, here and there, to information of an explanatory nature, which he hopes will assist them in appreciating, perhaps as never before, how the soldiers lived--and died.

The patriotism, the sacrifice and the suffering were not confined to the army. The home scenes herein presented were common to every city and village and hamlet, from Maine to California...

With faternal greetings to all his late comrades-in-arms the author sends out this volume, indulging the hope that they may find pleasure and interest in living over again the stirring scenes of a quarter of a century ago, in the experiences of "Si Klegg" and "Shorty."

Wilbur F. Hinman

Washington, D.C., September, 1887.

I ordered this book a long time ago, to help me with my first-person impression when I reenacted with my Union reenacting company, the 76th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Company H. I learned many things from it, to include how to play the game of chuck-o'-luck.

If you get a chance to read this book, grab it, as it comes across so true and so real, as to put some of the 'real' books on civil war soldiers to shame.

Sincerely,
Unionblue

[cash]

I thought Chamberlain's book was overly flowery with its purple prose. I prefer straightforward writing like Grant's Memoirs and Sam Watkins' Memoirs.

Regards,
Cash

[gary]

Grant's Memoirs of US Grant is among the best Civil War memoir I've read and I've read hundreds of them. Clear, concise writing style made Grant highly readable. George W. Peck (How Pvt. George W. Peck Put Down the Rebellion) was among the funniest I've read. Wyman White (The Civil War Diary of Wyman White) was the most useful sharpshooter memoir I've read. He never intended to have it published and so his diary presents an unglorified perspective of service as a sharpshooter. This is apart from Berry Benson who made himself into something he wasn't (he said he was not paroled but his parole papers are in the National Archives).

I didn't care for John B. Gordon's Reminiscences. While useful, there's too much lost cause myth (and Greek fought Greek) woven into it. Joe Johnston's memoirs is nothing more than an apology for his failures. Hood's is interesting and gives his perspective as to his agressiveness. With the benefit of hindsight, it also showed that he hadn't adapted to modern warfare and failed to realize the futility of frontal assaults. Chamberlain's Passing of Armies was OK, but not really useful to me. I enjoyed E. P. Alexander's Military Memoirs of a Confederate and more so, his Fighting For the Confederacy which was intended strictly for his family.

[matthew mckeon]

This isn't actually a memoir, but Ambrose Bierce's "What I Saw at Shiloh," is a vivid, extraordinarily bitter account of the battle that Bierce particpated in.

[cash]

Originally Posted by matthew mckeon

This isn't actually a memoir, but Ambrose Bierce's "What I Saw at Shiloh," is a vivid, extraordinarily bitter account of the battle that Bierce particpated in.

Good choice.

Regards,
Cash

[gary]

Neil,

You're a cruel, heartless man to suggest Corporal Si' Klegg & his Pard. After all, Shorty died in the end. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!














kidding.

[unionblue]

Gary,

Still made for a good read, though.

Sincerely,
Unionblue

[formerYank]

Originally Posted by gary

Wyman White (The Civil War Diary of Wyman White) was the most useful sharpshooter memoir I've read. He never intended to have it published and so his diary presents an unglorified perspective of service as a sharpshooter.

Thanks for this one. I've not heard of it before. Now, when I look for it online... it's 140 bucks!!!

Has it been re-issued by anybody at a reasonable price?

Thanks!
Dan

[gary]

You'll have to comb used book stores to find one now. Sadly, I gave my spare copy away to a friend who was serving in Afghanistan.

[tackitt27]

Has anyone read Manassas to Appomatox by James Longstreet? Im about to purchase this online and was wondering if there were any opinions on it out there.