Inside the Army of the Potomac: The Civil War Experience of Captain Francis Adams Donaldson - Hardcover

Acken, J. Gregory

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0811709019 ISBN 13: 9780811709019

Publisher: Stackpole Books, 1998

Synopsis

Francis Adams Donaldson, full of idealistic enthusiasm in the early days of the Civil War, enlisted in the 71st Pennsylvania Regiment. After recovering from a wound incurred at Ball's Bluff, he quickly joined the 118th Pennsylvania. As the realities of campaigns, battles, and infighting among his fellow soldiers begin to press down on him, however, his letters and diary betray a growing disenchantment that leads to a startling climax. Donaldson's fiercely candid observations reveal much about the political life of the Army of the Potomac, and his letters contribute unforgettable descriptions of action at Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg.

About this title

Review:

"The Donaldson Civil War correspondence is arguably the most interesting and perceptive that is has been my fortune to read in more than 40 years. Unlike most Civil War collections, steeped as they are in the morality of the Victorian era, the Donaldson letters reveal much about the Civil War soldier that is not a part of the popular literature." - Edwin C. Bearss, historian Emeritus, National park Service--Edwin C. Bearss, Chief Historian Emeritus of the National Park Service

"These letter are among the fullest, most detailed, and most incisive of any I have read--and believe me, I have read many collections. The descriptions of various battles are fuller than in any collection of letter or diaries I have read." - James M. McPherson, author of Battle Cry of Freedom--James M. McPherson, author of Battle Cry of Freedom

"This is one of the finest solider accounts of the Army of the Potomac that I have ever read. It is filled with the sort of personal vignette that brings those long-dead soldiers to life....I think it will become a classic." - Brian Pohanka, Civil War author, lecturer, and historian--Brian Pohanka

From the Author:

A very important book by a member of the Army of the Potomac
In these 117 never before seen letters (some of the originals covered more than 50 sheets of writing paper), Francis Adams Donalson, an impressionable, high strung 20-year-old Philadelphian, details his experiences while serving in two Pennsylvania regiments attached to the Army of the Potomac. Initially enlisting at war's outbreak in the 71st Pennsylvania, he worked his way up from private to second lieutenant before he was wounded at Fair Oaks in May 1862. Commissioned a captain in the 118th Pennsylvania Volunteers upon his recovery in August 1862, he survived the horrors of Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and the Fall 1863 campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, only to see his military career ended due to the climax of an ongoing feud with his commanding officer. These letters provide a wealth of insight into the battles of the Armay of the Potomac, the attitudes of the men of that army, and at the same time reveal much about the internal feuding and backbiting that existed within many of the volunteer regiments which served during the American Civil War. The letters laid, virtually unnoticed, in the holdings of the Civil War Library and Museum in Philadelphia until 1989, when I "re-discovered" them and began editing them for publication. All of my personal proceeds from the sale of the book are being donated to the non-profit Civil War Library and Museum. It's hard not to sound biased about your work when writing a review like this, so I'd like to share with you what Edwin C. Bearss, Historian Emeritus of the National Park Service, author and editor of numerous Civil War books (and one of Ken Burns' "talking heads" from the PBS miniseries on the Civil War)had to say about the Donaldson letters: "The Donaldson Civil War correspondence is arguably the most interesting and perceptive that it has been my fortune to read in more than 40 years." Additionally, the book was honored by being chosen as an alternate selection of the History Book Club for November 1998.

About this edition

• Publisher: Stackpole Books
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0811709019
• ISBN 13: 9780811709019
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 480