Customer Reviews

The Pig War and Other Experiences of William Peck-Soldier 1858-1862-U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: A Journal of William A. Peck, Jr.

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I rate this book five stars not because the story is gripping, or because the book reveals great comsmic truths, but because I value my copy of this book highly. It contains one man's account of his experiences as a soldier in the Pacific Northwest, day by day. Such a document is extraordinary. For example, they had Catch-22, even in the army before the Civil War. The company doctor was 5 miles away. To get on sick call, you had to go be examined by the doctor; but if you were able to get the five miles to see the doctor, by definition you weren't sick! The book is filled with hidden gems like this, among the daily complaints of work, rain, and guard duty. Whiskey, desertion, gambling, and the prevailing sentiments toward the Native Americans are all covered. I find it fascinating.

The blandest journal I've ever read. Most of the entries are along the lines of "It rained again. Nothing to report today." I suppose it's good that this journal was put into university archives, where it might eventually provide some trivial value to a historian or two, but as a general read this is abysmally uninteresting.