Told in unflinching detail; this is the story of the Twenty-Ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry; also known as the Giddings Regiment or the Abolition Regiment; after its founder; radical abolitionist Congressman J. R. Giddings. The men who enlisted in the Twenty-Ninth OVI were; according to its lore; handpicked to ensure each was as pure in his antislavery beliefs as its founder. Whether these soldiers would fight harder than other soldiers; and whether the people of their hometowns would remain devoted to the ideals of the regiment; were questions that could only be tested by the experiment of war.The Untried Life is the story of these men from their very first regimental formation in a county fairground to the devastation of Gettysburg and the march to Atlanta and back again; enduring disease and Confederate prisons. It brings to vivid life the comradeship and loneliness that pervaded their days on the march. Dozens of unforgettable characters emerge; animated by their own letters and diaries: Corporal Nathan Parmenter; whose modest upbringing belies the eloquence of his writings; Colonel Lewis Buckley; one of the Twenty-Ninth’s most charismatic officers; and Chaplain Lyman Ames; whose care of the sick and wounded challenged his spiritual beliefs.The Untried Life shows how the common soldier lived—his entertainments; methods of cooking; medical treatment; and struggle to maintain family connections—and separates the facts from the mythology created in the decades after the war.
#223622 in Books Bison Books 2000-04-01Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 .75 x 5.29 x 7.93l; #File Name: 0803282621313 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Great book by Charles MarshallBy Michael ZiemsI'm in Civil War Days reenactment and I got to portrayed Charles Marshall in the Appomattox Courthouse because I was told I look just like him and I believe that this book will be very helpful to me. I want to learn all that I can about Charles Marshall who served General Robert E. Lee in the Civil War. I rented this book from Ferris State University Library through my Library.6 of 11 people found the following review helpful. Lee's Aide-de-CampBy K. FreemanThe memoirs of Charles Marshall; Lee's aide. Most editions have footnotes and extensive commentary by Frederick Maurice.Marshall seems to have been Lee's greatest fan; defending him at all points; claiming to know his mind (even when; as in the instance of Lee's intention to fight a battle during the Gettysburg campaign; other evidence suggests Marshall is mistaken) and fervently exonerating him of all wrong. Little personal reminiscence is here except for concerning Appomattox; although Marshall does vouchsafe the information that the first time he ever heard musket fire was during the battles of the Seven Days and he didn't know at first what he was hearing.Marshall's memoir is of interest for scholars of Lee and also for those interested in the role of the cavalry during the Gettysburg campaign; because Marshall is one of the major voices to speak up blaming Stuart. I found it interesting to note that Marshall implies the famous confusing order which states "If General Hooker's army remains inactive...but should he not appear to be moving northward" was meant to be worded that way; Marshall goes on to refer to it in the same terms; suggesting there was no error; and also claims that Lee was concerned Hooker might move southward to threaten Richmond. In any case; one may (and probably should) disagree with some of what Marshall has to say but this is an important memoir nonetheless.
