Synopsis
With the approach of the 100th anniversary of the original 1907 publication of "Soldier Life", it became clear to many people that a reprint was in order. Copies could only be located in the hands of a few relatives who had been lucky enough to inherit one, or in the special collections of a few libraries. As rare books in fragile condition, these copies were unavailable for personal reading by many other family members seeking more information about their family's historical past, or by members of the general public seeking information about Iowans' participation in the Civil War. When two of these seekers met one afternoon at the Traer Museum and discussed the difficulty they had each experienced trying to obtain this special book, our project was born. These two determined people soon crossed paths with the grandson of BF Thomas' close friend Peter Wilson, whose letters had been out of print since World War Two. It became clear to all that the true histories of both of these men, and those of their companions, needed not only to be preserved, but to be made available again to the family and friends of the soldiers and to the interested members of the community at large. These two first-hand manuscripts each enhanced the other well, adding more depth to understanding the experience Iowa men and their families endured during the four years of War. Fully sponsored by the Traer Museum board, and assisted by generous contributions from family members of the ten "Wolf Creek Rangers", work was begun to research, collect, transcribe, and re-publish these two original documents, and enhance them with newly available material. This compilation book is dedicated to the memory of these ten men from the Wolf Creek area of Tama County who served in Company G, and all the other brave men who fought beside them to preserve our Nation. It is worth remembering however, that Company G was only one of ten companies in the 14th Iowa Infantry Regiment. Iowa had almost 50 other regiments of volunteer infantry, 11 of cavalry, and 4 of artillery. Other Iowa men signed on to serve in other States, or enlisted into the regular army, or in home militias to guard Iowa's borders. The men remembered here are but a fraction of the men who served from Tama County, which lost many more men than the few whose names and stories have been preserved in this small collection.
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About the Author
The 14th Iowa Volunteer Infantry was formed in October 1861 in Davenport Iowa and by February 1862 was engaged in Tennessee at the siege of Fort Donelson, one of the crucial early Union victories of the Civil War. A month later they participated in the fierce fighting at the Hornets' Nest during the pivotal battle of Shiloh. They also fought in campaigns at the Red River of Louisiana, in Mississippi, and Missouri. At the very end of the War, some of these men were on duty in Springfield, Illinois and were selected to serve as guards for the funeral and burial of President Lincoln following his tragic assassination. This compilation volume includes two firsthand narratives of the life of these soldiers of the 14th Iowa in camp and combat throughout their three-year enlistment. "Soldier Life", the wartime journal of Benjamin Franklin Thomas, was previously published by the author in 1907 in a small edition meant primarily for his family and friends. The wartime letters of Thomas' close friend and companion, Peter Wilson, included here under the separate title "Many Must Fall", were originally published in three installments in the Iowa Journal of History and Politics in 1942. The writings of Frank Thomas and Pete Wilson are filled with colorful and interesting details of their day to day experiences as common soldiers, their enlistment, their training, their army life, and their many observations as they traveled through several southern States. Freshly edited and footnoted, Thomas' original published manuscript now includes recently discovered poems that he himself composed and sent to local newspapers as the War progressed. Wilson's articulate letters have been supplemented here with new additional footnotes, and with letters, and other first-hand accounts of their companions, some from period newspapers, some published here for the first time. Both men, together with their eight messmates from the Wolf Creek area of Tama County, served in Company G, a unit composed largely of men from Tama and Story Counties, with a few each from neighboring Benton, Scott, Henry, Cedar, Linn, Johnson, and Marshall Counties. The ten messmates called themselves the "Wolf Creek Rangers", or the "Wolf Creek Boys" from the watercourse that flows east through Gladbrook, Traer and LaPorte City. This volume tells their story, in their own words, of what they experienced during the "War of the Rebellion". Students of the Civil War, historians interested in the story of nineteenth century Iowa, and family members of men who served in this regiment, will find much of interest in these colorful and detailed, first hand accounts.
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Soldier Life- Many Must Fall
Seller: Aspen Book Co., Denver, CO, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: good. A well-loved companion. Corners and cover might show a little wear, and you could find some notes or highlights. The dust jacket might be MIA, it might have been a library book and extras aren't guaranteedâ"but the story's all there! Seller Inventory # PKV.1929919174.G