When Colonel Charles S. Wainwright (1826–1907), later a brevet brigadier general, was commissioned in the First New York Artillery Regiment of the Army of the Potomac in October 1861, he began a journal. As an officer who fought at Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Cold Harbor, Spotsylvania, and Petersburg, and who witnessed the leadership of Generals McClellan, Hooker, Burnside, Meade, Grant, and Sheridan, he brilliantly describes his experiences, views, and emotions. But Wainwright's entries go beyond military matters to include his political and social observations. Skillfully edited by Allan Nevins, historian and author of the classic multivolume Ordeal of the Union, this journal is Wainwright's vivid and invaluable gift to posterity.
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About the Author
Allan Nevins is an historian and author of the classic multivolume Ordeal of the Union.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Diary of Battle,
By A Customer
This review is from: A Diary Of Battle: The Personal Journals Of Colonel Charles S. Wainwright, 1861-1865 (Paperback)
Gets low marks for editing. The editor has excised parts he thinks are repetitive or boring, but in some cases these clearly dealt with the technical details of handling artillery, and would have been of great use to the reader.The colonel of the 1st NY Artillery, Wainwright is interesting as an anti-abolitionist and a fan of McClellan up to the very end. His comment that he wouldn't trust Massachusetts or Pennsylvania not to secede if conditions were reversed (p. 207) is interesting, reflecting the strong allegiance to state in the North as well as the South. His views on the cynicism of abolitionists are intriguing as well; he believed that the radicals were deliberately prolonging the war to gain political power. His account of the fighting on Culp's Hill at Gettysburg is quite detailed.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the Great Civil War Diaries,
By Kevman (White Plains, NY USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Diary of Battle: The Personal Journals of Colonel Charles S. Wainwright 1861-1865 (Hardcover)
There are many diarries and personal recollections of the Civil War. There are a handful of these that rate as classic writings that can be used as reliable first hand accounts of the war, and this is one of them. Possibly the best diary from the Army of the Potomac. Great detail, well written and very intersting.
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Edward Porter Alexander of the Union Army,
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This review is from: A Diary Of Battle: The Personal Journals Of Colonel Charles S. Wainwright, 1861-1865 (Paperback)
The Edward Porter Alexander of the Union Army
Colonel Charles S. Wainwright, artillerist, is the Edward Porter Alexander of the Union army. His recollections from 1861-1865, as presented in A Diary of Battle edited by Allan Nevins, is an amazing in-depth memoir of the Civil War as seen through the eyes of someone who fought in most of the major battles of the Army of the Potomac. He was for all practical purposes Confederate Col E.P. Alexander's Union memoir counterpart. He knew all the major figures and did not hesitate to comment on each one. He held nothing back, writing in explicit and descriptive prose. His analysis of both battles and personalities is both insightful and illuminating. This is a must read for anyone who wants to get a more in-depth understanding of the real American Civil War from a front line participant. Highly recommended especially for serious Civil War buffs.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
When Wainwright was commissioned a major in the First New York Artil in mid-October 1861, McCIeIIan had been in charge of the forces around Washington a little less than three months. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
thorough cut, regimental business, spring waggon, great salient, one waggon, rebel works, brigade organization, oblique fire, battery men, canister range, headquarters today, corps today Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, General Hooker, Sixth Corps, General Hunt, General Meade, Army of the Potomac, Court House, Second Corps, General Warren, Fifth Corps, Ninth Corps, General Reynolds, Army Headquarters, General Grant, General Newton, First Corps, Third Corps, War Department, United States, Bull Run, City Point, Eleventh Corps, Third Division, New Jersey, Weldon Railroad New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
When Wainwright was commissioned a major in the First New York Artil in mid-October 1861, McCIeIIan had been in charge of the forces around Washington a little less than three months. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
thorough cut, regimental business, spring waggon, great salient, one waggon, rebel works, brigade organization, oblique fire, battery men, canister range, headquarters today, corps today Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, General Hooker, Sixth Corps, General Hunt, General Meade, Army of the Potomac, Court House, Second Corps, General Warren, Fifth Corps, Ninth Corps, General Reynolds, Army Headquarters, General Grant, General Newton, First Corps, Third Corps, War Department, United States, Bull Run, City Point, Eleventh Corps, Third Division, New Jersey, Weldon Railroad New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 6
books:
See all 6 books this book cites
41
books
cite this book:
See all 41 books citing this book
- Robert E. Lee by Jefferson Davis on page 65
- Ordeal of the Union Vol.1: Fruits of Manifest Destiny 1847-1852 : A House Dividing 1852-1857 by Allan Nevins in Back Cover
- Civil War Books: A Critical Bibliography by Allan, Nevins in Back Cover
- Sheridan's Ride by Thomas Buchanan Read on page 474
- Fighting for the Confederacy: The Personal Recollections of General Edward Porter Alexander by Edward Porter Alexander in Back Cover
See all 6 books this book cites
- The Union Generals Speak: The Meade Hearings on the Battle of Gettysburg by Bill Hyde on 11 pages
- The Man Behind The Guns: A Military Biography Of General Henry J. Hunt, Commander Of Artillery, Army Of The Potomac by Edward Longacre on 9 pages
- Stone's Brigade and the Fight for the McPherson Farm by James J. Dougherty on 6 pages
- Lee's Last Retreat: The Flight to Appomattox by William Marvel on 5 pages
- The Wilderness Campaign (Military Campaigns of the Civil War) by Gary W. (ed.) Gallagher on 4 pages
See all 41 books citing this book
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