As I always provide a book review, when I have finished reading one, on my FaceBook page I thought I would do so here, as well. Here is my latest.
Finished reading "Four Years in the Stonewall Brigade" by John O. Casler.
Fascinating read, in that he relates his personal experiences during the war, rather than some broad overview of battles or campaigns. He was quite the procurement artist, as it turns out. I found it especially interesting how often he was "away" from his command for a variety of reasons, sometimes with permission, sometimes without. But his stories were always interesting to read and the reader expects any minute that he will be captured and court-martialed.
Another thing I enjoy, and find worth noting, as I have seen this in many other similar personal accounts, is the respect with which he speaks of the Union troops he would encounter. To be sure there were individuals and some leaders and groups which earned derision from their counterparts, but for the most part there was a mutual respect between combatants. I recommend this book for anyone interested in the personal experiences of a soldier in the field.
Next up, "War Crimes Against Southern Civilians" by Walter Brian Cisco. While such atrocities have been spoken of in other publications, this book is a compilation dealing strictly with those atrocities, rather than as a side-note of a battle or some other incident. You'll have my report when I'm done.
