The story of a common soldier of army life in the Civil War, 1861-1865 (Collector's library of the Civil War) [Hardcover]

Leander Stillwell (Author)

Book Description

Series: Collector's library of the Civil War | Publication Date: 1983

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. OFF FOR THE SEAT OF WAR.—THE BATTLE OF SHILOH.— MARCH AND APRIL, 1862. On March 25th we left Benton Barracks for the front. We marched through St. Louis and onto the steamboat that day, but from some cause I never knew, the boat did not leave the wharf until about dark the next evening. My company was quartered on the hurricane deck of the boat. Soon after the boat started down the river an incident befell me that looks somewhat comical now, but at that time it was to me a serious matter, and one that troubled my conscience a good deal. I had piled my knapsack, with the blanket strapped on the outside, and my other stuff, at the foot of the gun stack which included my musket. Suddenly I discovered, to my great consternation, that.my blanket was gone! Yes, my lords and gentlemen, some "false Scot" had deliberately and feloniously appropriated my indispensable equipment for a night's repose. And a long, raw March night was coming on, and the damp and chilly air was rising, like a fog, from the cold surface of the river. All signs, too, portended a rainy night. The thunder was muttering off in the southwest, intermittent flashes of lightning lit up the sky, and scattering drops of rain were even then beginning to patter on the hurricane deck and ripple the bosom of the stream. What should I do? I must have a blanket, that was certain. But all my life the belief had been instilled into me that stealing was well-nigh the most disgraceful of all crimes, and that a thief was a most odious and contemptible wretch. Moreover, one pf the ten commandments "pintedly" declared. "Thou shalt not steal." But something had to be done, and speedily. At last it occurred to me that being a soldier, and belonging for the time being to Uncle Sam, I was a species of government property...

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 278 pages
• Publisher: Time-Life Books (1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080944383X
• ISBN-13: 978-0809443833
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,025,480 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars an honest, yet refreshing account by a humble man, June 23, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Cottonwood Falls, Kansas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The story of a common soldier of army life in the Civil War, 1861-1865 (Collector's library of the Civil War) (Hardcover)

Quite by accident I stumbled onto this accounting of a young man's experience in the western theater of the American Civil War. After having read many versions of the war by various accomplished authors and researchers, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Stillwell's unassuming story of how he saw and experienced the Civil War. Stillwell tells us the story of where he came from in Otterville, Illinois, and how he came to leave his family's farm to enlist in January 1862. I basked in his descriptive narratives, written in the vernacular of the times. He makes no proud assumptions regarding his involvement in any of the battles, but gives us a common soldier's view as he, and many others, must have seen it. he makes a few disparaging remarks about his commanders, and officers in general, which I found honest, and entertaining. This is a good book that Civil War enthusiasts should really enjoy. An autographed first edition adorns my shelf at home, and I will not let it out of my sight.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Leander's own truthful words, January 2, 2009

By 

James E. Binns "Hazzbinns" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Story of a Common Soldier of Army Life in the Civil War, 1861-1865 (Paperback)

This is a classic autobiography of an actual infantry soldier, his experiences and sage reflections over the full term of the Civil War in the Western Front in the West Tennessee Army. His accounts are bona-fide first hand remembrances of the day-to-day soldiers life. He was with General Prentiss at Shiloh/Pittsburgh Landing, which he survived and escaped capture. His recollections are some of the most insightful and represent the truer existence of a Billy Yank in the ranks. One of the best and most honestly recollected first hand accounts of the Civil War, ever written.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great perceptions on Civil war and 1860's life, July 27, 2000

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The story of a common soldier of army life in the Civil War, 1861-1865 (Collector's library of the Civil War) (Hardcover)

A common soldier shares personal experiences in the civil war tells his story with great eye for detail for the times. A terrific walk thru time with mid 19th c. color, smells, language,hardships, mannerisms, food, weather, coming to full life in the readers mind. I recommend this book for all history buffs and civil war enthusiasts, especially those searching for personal authenticity and articulateness.