Henry Eby's story of service with the 7th Illinois Cavalry in the American Civil War is like many soldier stories. Told in his own way, it is compelling for its simplicity, despite the horrors and deprivations he endured.On September 20, 1863, Eby was captured. Barely surviving, he and a friend escaped, only to be captured again. Eventually parolled, he returned to his unit and served out the rest of his enlistment.Every memoir of the American Civil War provides us with another view of the catastrophe that changed the country forever.

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Music was everywhere during the Civil War. Tunes could be heard ringing out from parlor pianos, thundering at political rallies, and setting the rhythms of military and domestic life. With literacy still limited, music was an important vehicle for communicating ideas about the war, and it had a lasting impact in the decades that followed. Drawing on an array of published and archival sources, Christian McWhirter analyzes the myriad ways music influenced popular culture in the years surrounding the war and discusses its deep resonance for both whites and blacks, South and North. Though published songs of the time have long been catalogued and appreciated, McWhirter is the first to explore what Americans actually said and did with these pieces. By gauging the popularity of the most prominent songs and examining how Americans used them, McWhirter returns music to its central place in American life during the nation's greatest crisis. The result is a portrait of a war fought to music.