"Great anxiety is expressed by all to reach home by the Fourth of July, which at present looks very probable. But, dear Journal, I cannot write, I feel too good." Jenk Jones would make it home on the 3rd of July, 1865. After three long years away from home with the 6th Wisconsin Artillery Battery, his reunion with family was, to him, indescribably joyful. Much had changed but the bonds remained the same. Along the way he'd seen horror and bloodshed, heartbreak, lost friends, and final victory. He was at Vicksburg and other major battles and kept "Mr. Journal" throughout, with the exception of his time in quarantine for smallpox. He recorded the ecstasy of news that Richmond had fallen, followed by Lee's surrender soon after. He writes of the sorrow he and his comrades felt at the news of Lincoln's assassination and how they all felt they'd lost a family member. Frontline diaries of the Civil War bring an immediacy to a long-ago event and connect us to these everyday men and women who lived it. Be sure to LOOK INSIDE or download a sample.

Includes over 30 maps and Illustrations The Staff Ride Handbook for the Vicksburg Campaign, December 1862-July 1863, provides a systematic approach to the analysis of this key Civil War campaign. Part I describes the organization of the Union and Confederate Armies, detailing their weapons, tactics, and logistical, engineer, communications, and medical support. It also includes a description of the U.S. Navy elements that featured so prominently in the campaign. Part II consists of a campaign overview that establishes the context for the individual actions to be studied in the field. Part III consists of a suggested itinerary of sites to visit in order to obtain a concrete view of the campaign in its several phases. For each site, or “stand,” there is a set of travel directions, a discussion of the action that occurred there, and vignettes by participants in the campaign that further explain the action and which also allow the student to sense the human “face of battle.” Part IV provides practical information on conducting a Staff Ride in the Vicksburg area, including sources of assistance and logistical considerations. Appendix A outlines the order of battle for the significant actions in the campaign. Appendix B provides biographical sketches of key participants. Appendix C provides an overview of Medal of Honor conferral in the campaign. An annotated bibliography suggests sources for preliminary study.