The half-century after the end of the Civil War saw an outpouring of memoirs by veterans on both sides. Some were written by war heroes, like Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman (and were bestsellers as well). For time, it must have seemed like every general and officer in the war was writing an account. A joke made the rounds that so many people had witnessed Robert E. Lee’s signing of the surrender to Grant at Appomattox that both armies had crowded into the room. For a time, those who had been privates – enlisted and drafted – penned their remembrances as well. These accounts, and I’ve read a considerable number number for my soon-to-be-published historical novel Brookhaven, are not so much concerned with strategy and battle outcomes as they are with day-to-day survival, getting enough food, mud (lots of mud, especially when you have to walk through it), in short, what everyman experienced.
To continue reading, please see my post today at Dancing Priest.
Some Wednesday Readings
King Arthur left an ancient trail across Britain. Experts say it offers clues about the truth behind the myth – Julia Buckley at CNN.
King Arthur: A Legacy of Chivalry – George Grant at Florilegium.
O Pioneers! – Joseph Pearce at The Imaginative Conservative.
Digging Deep, Staying with It: James Sallis on Writing, Reality, and the Danger of Creative Work – Nick Kolakowski at CrimeReads.
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