Customer Reviews

A Full Blown Yankee of the Iron Brigade: Service with the Sixth Wisconsin Volunteers

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Rufus Dawes writes of his service as an officer of the Iron Brigade's 6th Wisconsin Volunteers from it's formation until his resignation in 1864. Dawes was continuously present in the field almost every day from the day he enlisted, and wrote to his wife even several times a week, yet the book fills a mere 318 pages. His work is based primarily on this large collection of letters his wife had kept throughout the war.

His retrospective reminiscences are interjected only to give us the larger context, and sometimes he quotes the Official Army Reports when helpful. Not only is Dawes a good writer, but because he rose to command the 6th Wisconsin Regiment, he was cognizant of both the big picture and the immediate details of soldier life.

Dawes is an eloquent and sensitive writer. Through Dawes' letters we can feel the stresses and tensions of army life. As a junior officer, Dawes notes his concerns over the seniority among Captains in the Regiment as his primary concern. By 1864, this has shifted to the simple desire to spend time away from the incessant bullets, death and discomforts of war. Dawes' passages on the 1864 Campaign really expresses how different the war became and how really weary the veterans had become. Dawes himself, an exuberant and optimistic spirit always, had become truly weary of war by 1864.

To have tramped with Dawes all over Virginia, to Antietam and Gettysburg and through the Wilderness is an unforgettable experience. I highly recommend this book for the general reader. Of all the first person accounts I have read by Iron Brigade soldiers, this is the easiest to read and follow, and is richly rewarding.

It's sometimes tough finding memoirs or diary accounts that don't get involved in writing battle history on a larger scale that doesn't have anything to with the person writing it. Rufus Dawes heavily battle tormented years in the hard fighting Iron Brigade only covers his involvment and the affairs of the Iron Brigade which I found refreshing to read. Rufus Dawes has wrote down a lot in his diary and also wrote many letters home which are presented very well throughout this book. Most of his diary writings mention the date and the events which occurred. Dawes manages to define daily life activity in the camp and soldier actions. What makes this book exciting is his detail for writing about his involvement at major battles such as Antietam, Gettysburg, Cold Harbor and more! Rarely receiving a single scratch, Dawes manages to live to write about his military life as other officers around him eventually become discharged while a majority die. He gets descriptive at times which captures the chaos and confusion of battle. His writings also talk a lot about the Iron Brigade and it's a great reference for those trying to understand how hard fighting this group of soldiers were. Unlike some recollections or memoirs, Dawes writes very well and makes this book easy to follow and read. At times Dawes was very detailed and explains many army movements and his thoughts about approaching battle and surviving the aftermath. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the Civil War and especially for those looking to learn about the Iron Brigade.

Rufus Dawes was a great patriot and the subject,the Wisconsin 6th Brigade,is a very interesting one but it is a tough read becuase it is writen in the word in the 1860's.That said thank God for Rufus Dawes and men like him who fought this bloody war for the right reasons....To end the brutal enslavement of human flesh for profit!

Rufus Dawes can embellish things at times.. but nothing beats a first hand account for detail and entertainment.
At least these are the events as he actually saw them, and he saw a lot of important events first hand :)
JJ