Union Infantryman 1861–65

Osprey Warrior #31

by John P. Langellier, Ian Drury, John White (Illustrator)

A Union supporter once said, "What is a man's life worth if our glorious union is to be shattered by traitors?" President Lincoln's volunteers and conscripted soldiers expanded the permanent Union army to include 1,700 regiments of foot soldiers during the course of the war. Those who became part of "Mr. Lincoln's Army" came from various social and economic conditions, and they documented their day-to-day life in diaries, letters and memoirs. Drawing on these narratives, contemporary photographs, and meticulous archival research, this book provides a vivid account of the common Union infantryman from recruitment and training to his experiences on the battlefield during the American Civil War (1861-1865).

Genres: American Civil War, Military History, Civil War, Nonfiction, History

64 pages, Paperback

First published May 25, 2001

Reviews

[Dimitri]

Conclusive proof to my eyes that to get the skinny from Osprey, the Warriorseries soundly beats the Man-at-Arms booklets. Recruitment, weapons, tactics an the daily life without a seam-by-button dissection of the uniform.

The focus lies on the steep learning curve of volunteer amateurs in all aspects of war. Which jacket and headgear are most comfortable? which regulation kit can you readily discard before going into battle? Did you learn to deploy from column into line from the right manual among several in circulation in the U.S. ? Did it teach you how to execute the order or fire flawlessly, or will you run to the rear with a gun crammed full with bullets ? Are you lucky enough to possess a true repetition rifle, or a converted smoothbore ? Be there a suttler and cook at hand, or will you soak your hardtack into coffee to float the weevils out ?

[John Somers]

14/20.

[Sean Chick]

Solid summary of the unglamorous life of a Union infantryman.