First published more than 100 years ago, Hard Tack And Coffee is John Billings? absorbing first-person account of the everyday life of a U.S. Army soldier during the Civil War. Billings attended a reunion of Civil War veterans in 1881 that brought together a group of survivors whose memories and stories of the war compelled him to write this account.Illustrated by Charles W. Reed, this edition is enhanced with over 200 sketches that reflect the sights and scenes of America's most turbulent era.

While vacationing in the White Mountains, the author was induced by a rapt audience of boys-too young to have experienced the Civil War-to recount his adventures in the Army of the Potomac; these evening gatherings "led to the preparation of these sketches...an important contribution of warp to the majestic woof which comprises the history of the Great Civil War..." While most texts treat the war's battles, campaigns, and generals, this book attempts to comprehensively record army life of the common soldier in detail, "to permanently record information which the history of no other war has preserved with equal accuracy and completeness." Topics covered include: enlisting and raw recruits, life in tents and log huts, rations, offences and punishments, drills, foraging, inventions and devices of war, the army mule, hospitals and ambulances, army road and bridge builders, signal flags and torches, and much more. Charles W. Reed, the illustrator, did sketches in the field during this stint with the Army of the Potomac; over 200 of his drawings are included in this work.

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.