Diary of a Yankee Engineer: The Civil War Diary of John Henry Westervelt (North's Civil War) [Hardcover]

Anita Palladino (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1996 | ISBN-10: 0823217248 | ISBN-13: 978-0823217243 | Edition: 1

On September 8, 1962, John H. Westervelt enlisted as a private into the 1st New York Volunteer Engineer Corps. That same year, he shipped out of New York on the Star of the Southto South Carolina to fight for the North in the Civil War. The following April, he began a journal for his 13-year-old son Frazee so that his child could know of his experiences in the war. Sixty-two years later, John Westervelt's journal - 68 entries written on tattered, yellow pages, a record of such things as may come under [his] personal observation- was found in the trash outside his former home now West Farms. In early 1995, his drawings, meant to accompany the written journal, were discovered in the West Point Special Collections Archives. The two have been reunited in Diary of a Yankee Engineer. Westervelt's words, intended not for the history books but for the education of his young son, present a more humble vision of military life and of the North's struggle in the Civil War, than the often told sagas of glory. The journal gives us a rare look at the soldier's life of relentless tedium, the fatiguing fight of brother against brother - of pestilence and illness, giving us a truer, if not beautifulpicture of war. This is the story of an ordinary man in an extraordinary time - a man who merely lived as he though right and who died in consequence. Anita Palladino's introduction provides us with a brief history of the man and the events of his life. By salvaging John Westervelt's journal and reuniting its text with its art, Ms. Palladino has unearthed a rare, firsthand look at the men behind the war of Rebellion.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is a very important book." -- Military Images

About the Author

Anita Palladino is the director of the Paramus Catholic High School Library and is member of the Historical Society of Rockland County.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 265 pages
• Publisher: Fordham University Press; 1 edition (January 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823217248
• ISBN-13: 978-0823217243
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,557,168 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Unusual insights into day to day war., November 28, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Diary of a Yankee Engineer: The Civil War Diary of John Henry Westervelt (North's Civil War) (Hardcover)

Gives out of the ordinary view of things from perspective of engineer. No heroic battle scenes, but the 'real' stuff of daily suffering that is universal to soldering, no matter what war or time. Drawings add to the first person narrative. If you have a Civil War buff on your gift list, add this to your shopping list - it's an undiscovered treasure!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect book for any Civil War buff, September 6, 2002

By 

"peachmyst" (Nanuet, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Diary of a Yankee Engineer: The Civil War Diary of John Henry Westervelt (North's Civil War) (Hardcover)

I purchased this wonderful book for my father, a Civil War buff. The book is well researched and interesting. The details are amazing. My father read and re-read this fine book. I highly recommend it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars unusual view of civil war from eyes of an astute engineer, June 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Diary of a Yankee Engineer: The Civil War Diary of John Henry Westervelt (North's Civil War) (Hardcover)

Westervelt gives a perspective to the civil war that is rarely seen - not an officer or 'fighting troop' member, he reports the on-going facts ajnd rumors as he sees (and hears) them. As an engineering unit, his Company was not one of those frequently heard from, making this volume especially valuable to scholars and Civil War buffs alike.