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a soldier's journey; the civil war diary of Henry c. caldwell, co e, 7th louisiana infantry, csa by Keith Bauer paperback $20.00 + $3.85 shipping..autographed upon request The following is a review of this book published in 2001: PROVINCIAL PEREGRINATIONS BY WINSTON DEVILLE NEW REFERENCE FOR CIVIL WAR STUDIES Civil War diaries appeal to a wide variety of readers, from historians to genealogists to reenactors. One such diary has recently been published: A Soldier's Journey: The Civil War Diary of Henry C. Caldwell, Co. E, 7th Louisiana Infantry, CSA. Caldwell was a 24-year-old watchmaker from Franklin, Louisiana, who, at the beginning of the war traveled to New Orleans to enlist in the Confederate Army. He first trained at Camp Moore in Tangipahoa Parish, then to the war in Virginia. His diary begins with his departure from Louisiana in June of 1861 and ends abruptly in August of 1863. |
Excellently edited by Keith G. Bauer, Caldwell's diary takes the reader through several major events of the war, including the battles of Manassas Front Royal, Cross Keys, Winchester, Middletown, Port Republic, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville. But these major events take a back-seat to the author's story of a common soldier trying to overcome the obstacles in his life. Simple things of eating, sleeping, and clothing himself are frequent subjects. Bauer's liberal use of footnotes identifying people adds greatly to the reader's understanding of the Caldwell's subjects. A bibliography, a personal history of Caldwell, and a complete index greatly enhance the value of the diary. (kb6) |