The Chatfield Story: Civil War Letters and Diaries of Private Edward L. Chatfield of the 113th Illinois Volunteers - Softcover

McCarty, Terry M.; Chatfield McCarty, Margaret Ann

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1419697226 ISBN 13: 9781419697227

Publisher: BookSurge Publishing, 2009

Synopsis

Fully annotated and meticulously researched, The Chatfield Story: The Civil War Letters and Diaries of Private Edward L. Chatfield of the 113th Illinois Volunteers by Terry M. McCarty with Margaret Ann Chatfield McCarty is a stunning personal biography that illustrates a harrowing part of American history. Resonant, wise, and suspenseful, this elegantly wrought memoir is a story of courage, pluck, and survival against seemingly insurmountable odds. Chatfield's life as a Union private unfolds with each successive missive, an incredible account from within the Western Theater of the Civil War: Cairo, Memphis, Oxford, Holly Springs, Chickasaw Bayou, Arkansas Post, DeSoto Point, Grand Gulf, Clinton, Vicksburg, Corinth, and Brice's Cross Roads-where disaster awaited him. Fascinating in its approach and its depth, this spellbinding story of a young man whose name and family became famous in Colorado is a marvelous tale of accomplishment-a decidedly American story that truly begs to be heard.

About this title

About the Author:

Coauthors Terry M. McCarty and Margaret Ann Chatfield McCarty both hold master's degrees with emphases in the social sciences and human behavior, Terry's from California State University at Fullerton and Margaret's from Pepperdine University. A shared love of history prompted their transcription and narration of the letters of Edward L. Chatfield, a great-granduncle to Margaret. When not researching and writing, they enjoy exercise, gardening, storytelling, and visiting their children and grandchildren. They live in Georgetown, Texas, and this is their first book.

Review:

The McCartys lay bare an improbable story of war, fortitude and survival during a littleknown chapter of the American Civil War. The Chatfield Story is a remarkable personal biography that sheds light on the inner workings of one lone Union private, but also illuminates the psyche of an entire generation. Authors McCarty meticulously annotate each letter and diary entry while providing background narrative before and after, so the reader has the fullest possible understanding of the history, events and the subject in question. Fortified with wartime maps, topographical charts and generous appendices, readers are fully armed and ready to take on this formidable lesson in human endurance, grit and determination. The book is the rare intimate biography that is historically compelling and dramatically satisfying. The story begins with Edward's birth in Middlefield Township, Ohio, in 1842 and ends 24 years later at the close of the Civil War, following Chatfield through the Western Theater --Cairo, Memphis, Oxford, Holly Springs, Chickasaw Bayou, Arkansas Post, DeSoto Point, Vicksburg, Corinth and other key battlegrounds. Well known in Colorado, the Chatfield story has now come into the zeitgeist through the impeccable efforts of the authors, who have painstakingly researched and documented not only one man's life, but also the coming-of-age of a nation during its darkest hour. Chatfield's letters and diary punctuate a lively and dynamic telling of history that is as much an American story as it is a personal memoir. But the real value of this work is that it teaches U.S. history in an accessible, engrossing way. It delivers an entertaining, educational and wholly enjoyable excursion through our shared past and one remarkable life. Easy to read, faultlessly researched and masterfully written. -- Kirkus Discoveries Review

About this edition

• Publisher: BookSurge Publishing
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1419697226
• ISBN 13: 9781419697227
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 596