The 16th Connecticut was formed in Hartford County, Connecticut, in July and August 1862. It was mustered into service August 24, 1862 and became part of Mr. Lincoln's Army of the Potomac. Three weeks later the regiment first saw action at the Battle of Antietam, Maryland as part of Burnside's Ninth Army Corps. Having loaded muskets for the first time only the day before the battle, the regiment suffered significant casualties at Antietam. It next saw action at Fredericksburg, Virginia in December 1862, then at the Siege of Suffolk, Virginia in April/May 1863. In 1864, the 16th Connecticut, then with the 18th Army Corps, was part of the Union garrison at Plymouth, North Carolina, and vigorously defended Plymouth against a Confederate combined land and naval attack April 17-20, 1864 led by General Robert F. Hoke, C.S.A. Outnumbered more than 5 to 1, with no means of escape or opportunity for reinforcements, the Union garrison at Plymouth was surrendered on April 20, 1864 by Brigadier General Henry W. Wessells.

The Tennessee 16th Infantry Regiment was organized in June, 1861, at Camp Harris, Tennessee, with 952 officers and men. Its companies were drawn from the counties of DeKalb, Coffee, Warren, Putnam, and White. Sent to Virginia, the unit was active in Lee's Cheat Mountain Campaign and later moved to South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, then Kentucky. After fighting at Perryville , it was assigned to M.J. Wright's, Maney's, and Palmer's Brigade, Army of Tennessee. The regiment participated in the campaigns of the army from Murfreesboro to Atlanta , endured Hood's winter operations, and saw action in North Carolina. It reported 199 casualties at Perryville and lost fifty-two percent of the 402 engaged at Murfreesboro. Of the 242 at Chickamauga , twenty-eight percent were disabled and in December, 1863, it totalled 212 men and 157 arms. The unit surrendered on April 26, 1865.Companies Of The Tennessee 16th Infantry RegimentCo."A". Men from Smithville, DeKalb County. Co. "B", formerly "E". Men from Manchester, Coffee County. Some from Grundy County. Co. "C", formerly "E". Men from Warren County. Co. "D". Men from Warren County. Co. "E", formerly "H". Men from Warren County. Co. "F", formerly "K". "The Highlanders". Men from Putnam County. Co. "G", formerly "B". Men from White and DeKalb Counties. Co. "H", formerly "G". Men from Irving College, Warren County. Co. "I". Men from Van Buren County. Co. "K", formerly "C". Men from Sparta, White County.

This regiment was formed for fighting in the American civil war. It now has a monument remembering its losses at Antietam in northwest Maryland. The regiment was formed in August 1862 and finally disbanded in June 1865. It suffered heavy losses partially because they were largely untrained volunteers. Blakeslee, the author, was a member of this regiment who kept a personal diary. The book is composed mainly of these memories since very little else was written about this regiment.

The 16th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Logwood's) also called the 15th Regiment was organized at Pikeville, Mississippi, in August, 1863. It was reorganized November 16, 1863 and in February, 1864, it consolidated with Street's Mississippi Battalion, 15th (Stewart's) Tennessee Regiment on February 5, 1864 to form 15th (Stewart's-Logwood's) Regiment (2nd Organization). The regiment served under Nathan Bedford Forrest in Tennessee and Alabama, participated in the Atlanta and Nashville Campaigns and surrendered in Alabama. Companies of the Tennessee 16th Cavalry Regiment Company A - Captain James H. Murray (to lieutenant colonel) Company B - Captain James L. Garrison Company C - Benjamin I. McSpadden Company D - Captains J.R. Farrabee, John C. Ford - Shelby County and Fayette Counties. Company E - Captain Thomas N. Caruthers Company F - Captains Thomas W. Brinkley, William S. Latta - Fayette County, Hardeman County and Haywood Counties. Company G - Captain John H. Stevens - Fayette and Shelby Counties. Company H - Captain Thomas D. Robins - Fayette, Shelby and Hardeman Counties Company I - Captain J.E. Sullivan - Shelby and Tipton Counties. Company K - Thomas N. Hughes - Shelby and Fayette Counties.