For Country Cause and Leader: The Civil War Journal of Charles B. Haydon
This engaging journal covers the brief military career of a member of a Michigan regiment which took part in the battle of Bull Run, the Peninsula campaign, Fredericksburg and Grant's siege of Vicksburg. Between 1861 and 1864, Haydon rose from third sergeant to lieutenant colonel. His journal presents a boldly realistic picture of what it was like to serve in Lincoln's Army, with proper attention paid to the traditional soldiers' vices--drinking, gambling, whoring, brawling, looting--as acted out by his companions in arms, and described vividly by Haydon. A thoughtful, reflective and sharply observant man, he had interesting things to say not only about his comrades and the battles they fought but also about the restorative powers of hot coffee, the morals of Southern women, the price of food and the burden of leadership. Seriously wounded in Mississippi, Haydon was sent on furlough prematurely and died of pneumonia on the way home. The tragedy will sadden readers who have grown fond of this lively, conscientious, brave fellow. As Sears ( Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam ) movingly remarks, "What survived him is the journal of a good solider."Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.