William Wiley was typical of most soldiers who served in the
armies of the North and South during the Civil War. A poorly
educated farmer from Peoria, he enlisted in the summer of 1862 in
the 77th Illinois Infantry, a unit that participated in most of the
major campaigns waged in Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and
Alabama. Recognizing that the great conflict would be a defining
experience in his life, Wiley attempted to maintain a diary during
his years of service. Frequent illnesses kept him from the ranks
for extended periods of time, and he filled the many gaps in his
diary after the war. When viewed as a postwar memoir rather than a
period diary, Wiley's narrative assumes great importance as it
weaves a fascinating account of the army life of Billy Yank.
Rather than focus on the noble and heroic aspects of war, Wiley
reveals how basic the lives of most soldiers actually were. He
describes at length his experiences with sickness, both on land and
at sea, and the monotony of daily military life. He seldom mentions
army leaders, evidence of how little private soldiers knew of them
or the larger drama in which they played a part. Instead, he writes
fondly of his small circle of regimental friends, fills his pages
with refreshing anecdotes, records troop movements, details contact
with civilians, and describes the appearance of the countryside
through which he passed. In the epilogue, Terrence J. Winschel
recounts Wiley's complex and often frustrating struggle to obtain
his military pension after the war.
Wiley was an ingenious misspeller, and his words are transcribed
just as he wrote them more than 130 years ago. Through his simple
language, we come to know and care for this common man who made a
common soldier. His story transcends the barriers of time and
distance, and places the reader in the midst of men who experienced
both the horror and the tedium of war.
Winschel's rich annotation fleshes out Wiley's narrative and
provides an enlightening historical perspective. Scholars and buffs
alike, especially those fascinated by operations in the lower
Mississippi Valley and along the Gulf Coast, will relish Wiley's
honest portrait of the ordinary serviceman's Civil War.
General
Imprint: |
Louisiana State University Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
May 2001 |
First published: |
May 2001 |
Editors: |
Terrence J Winschel
|
Dimensions: |
229 x 152 x 23mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Hardcover
|
Pages: |
216 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-8071-2593-9 |
Categories: |
Books >
Humanities >
History >
General
Books >
History >
General
|
LSN: |
0-8071-2593-8 |
Barcode: |
9780807125939 |
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