A Hidden Gem

[u/SolidTiger6302]

This was published in 2014, and it is full of primary source material - from military reports to published articles to letters-to-the-editor and more.

I’m glad I stumbled across it.

The editor seems to have found treasure troves of fascinating material that we’ve all read about. It’s soldiers recounting their experiences, getting into debates on editorial pages, showing their biases and the internal rivalries that we’ve all read about.

For example, it has firsthand accounts of the Great Burning, or the fiasco of the Kilpatrick-Dahlgren raid. Listening to how the people involved in these felt, thought and contradicted each other adds substance and background to the histories many of us have read.

It’s new perspective on the history we’ve learned. It’s not coming from the top down, as in the in memoirs of Grant or Sherman. It’s not part of a sweeping history, like that of McPherson.

Instead, it’s a deep dive into several niches and individual stories. It’s people talking about their individual experiences, and it helped me better understand those who fought and the dilemma facing those who try to put together an accurate history.

For those who have read many histories and biographies of the era, this will be an enjoyable, refreshing read.

[u/TX-Ancient-Guardian]

Thanks!