Thursday, September 18, 2008

Wild Life of the Army: Civil War Letters of James A. Garfield edited by Friedricks Williams

Wild Life of the Army: Civil War Letters of James A. Garfield edited by Friedricks Williams. This is a selection of correspondence from the future president of the United States from the outbreak of the Civil War through 1863. Unfortunately it's not as interesting as you might think.

Garfield sat as one of the judges at the court-martial of Fitz John Porter. He also was Rosecrans chief of staff in the Chickamauga campaign. He spends most of his time writing about his health [he suffered from frequent bouts of diarrhea], the failure of people back home writing to him and his own political career. The military operations are dealt with quickly and as the editor frequently notes inaccurately.

Not recommended!

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