The Civil War - First Year

The Civil War: The First Year Told By Those Who Lived It by Brooks D. Simpson, editor, 2013.

Finished reading in February 2014.

According to my Good Reads app I've read 34 books on the Civil War but this one was unique because it was a collection of contemporary writings by people directly involved in the war. This is the first of four volumes that each cover a year of the war. 

The contents of this book are drawn from letters, diaries, articles, speeches, military reports, songs, memoirs, poems, and legal opinions from sixty participants in 120 pieces that create a unique first hand experience of our national crises of that time. It was a very fascinating and interesting collection. I especially liked the contemporary writing styles of these people in 1860. 

I had this book checked out from the Canisius College Library for well over six months and took my time reading these real life stories. It was nothing else I'd ever read about the Civil War. I'm looking forward to reading more in this series.