Robert Stiles, Kentucky born soldier in the Army of Northern Virginia, considered himself a "Union Man" when the war first broke out. In this classic work he gives the reader a look into the less alluring everyday life of the common soldier. In addition to apt descriptions of major battles, he also gives us a glimpse into ordinary pleasures of camp life like stray dogs that became pets and rough-housing with a snowball fight. The grim details of war are not glossed over as Stiles describes one occasion where his company was obliged to fight amid rapidly decaying corpses of a previous days' battle. An entire chapter is devoted to religion in Lee's army, and the entire book is human, warm, and inspirational. Illustrations have been added to the original text.

Published in 1903, these are the recollections of Robert Stiles during his time as a Major in the Army of Northern Virginia during the Civil War.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.