Three Years with the 92nd Illinois [Hardcover]

John M. King (Author), Claire E. Swedberg (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1999

*8-page b/w photo section
* 6 x 9
* Gives a new perspective of the battle of Chickamauga
* Includes account of the little-known Nickojack Massacre

In 1862 John M. King joined the 92nd Illinois Mounted Infantry. During his service for the Union he traveled 15,000 miles and participated in 33 engagements. A newspaper owner and editor, he naturally recorded his experiences using an inquisitive, often wry style. Throughout he registered the comic along with the tragic: his drunken commanders, the infighting among his comrades, and the often unjust disparities between officers and soldiers. This uncommonly literate diary, meticulously edited, is a hidden gem that will appeal to anyone who has ever taken an interest in the Civil War.

Claire Swedberg, a newspaper journalist, is also the author of Work Commando 311/I: American Paratroopers Become Forced Laborers for the Nazis and In Enemy Hands: Personal Accounts of Those Taken Prisoner in World War II.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

King became a corporal in the 92nd Illinois, which began as a Union infantry unit and was later converted to mounted infantry and equipped with Spencer rifles, making it one of the best-armed units in the army. A trained journalist, King wrote his diary as a reporter would, with attention to time and place and great detail about life in combat for the Union soldier. Officers, he said, were no better than buck privates and often much worse when they assigned men in their commands to dangerous and unnecessary tasks. Disease and infections were common problems in the army, and King experienced his share. Swedberg, a newspaper journalist and author of In Enemy Hands: Personal Accounts of Those Taken Prisoner in World War II (Stackpole, 1998), does a thorough job of providing the reader with background information throughout the diary. Readers with little more than a basic knowledge of the Civil War can read this with a reasonably clear understanding. Highly recommended for both academic and public libraries.AGrant A. Fredericksen, Illinois Prairie Dist. P.L., Metamora
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Civil War diaries are sprouting like rhubarb these days. This one is highly worthwhile. King, the son of a farmer, enlisted in the newly formed 92d Illinois Volunteer Infantry in late summer of 1862 and served to the end of the war. His diary covers his service through the 1864 Atlanta Campaign and reflects postwar polishing for publication in the newspaper he edited. It is an admirable document of the Union infantryman's life, complete with good and bad officers, just and unjust punishments, rations and clothing that were frequently a greater menace than Confederate bullets, and much else. Much of King's combat experience, including the nightmarish Battle of Chickamauga, was with Col. J. G. Wilder's famous mounted brigade, which was armed with Spencer repeating rifles. King also adds to our knowledge of certain higher-ranking officers: Gordon Granger comes across as a self-indulgent martinet, and George "Pap" Thomas' reputation is burnished even brighter than before. A fit recruit to the ranks of Civil War collections. Roland Green

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Stackpole Books; 1st edition (April 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081171599X
• ISBN-13: 978-0811715997
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,687,916 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Clear Look Back, October 18, 1999

By 

Andrew Czernek (Mukilteo, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Three Years with the 92nd Illinois (Hardcover)

John King's diary provides window into the world of a very provincial country at the time of the Civil War. He does an excellent job of highlighting the attitudes of fellow soldiers, poor Southerners, plantation owners, and new recruits. Claire Swedberg, the editor, has footnoted the book very well, giving context to many of the events mentioned in the book. For every person mentioned, Swedberg has provided some background on their service -- or whether they even survived the war.

Passages such as King debating with a plantation owner over whether the Bible condones or condemns slavery -- where each side quotes verse -- make this a fascinating window into the past. King's attitude in the diaries is one that reflects the questioning of authority common to American soldiers. He himself is a private during most of the war, though he's promoted to corporal at one point. King evens disdains that rank!

It's not as conversational as Wilbur Fisk's diaries ("Hard Marching Every Day") but very readable. The diary ends abruptly in September, 1864, 10 months before the end of the war and King's return to his family.

5.0 out of 5 stars An inside view of the Civil War, December 25, 2009

By 

Lucy D. Phillips (Dover, MA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Three Years with the 92nd Illinois (Hardcover)

While doing family history research, I stumbled on this journal of a distant relative, edited by his great granddaughter. I'm not even a Civil War buff, but couldn't put it down. It starts with the recruiting and training of farm boys in Illinois and their long train ride to the battlefield, seeing the world for the first time. It gives a great picture of the era, the ridiculous military hierarchy, and the highs and lows of battle. I can share it with my teenaged grandchildren--boys and girls--because it frankly shows what war is like (even today) without being unbearable. There's lots of humor and wisdom along with the action.