If I Live to Come Home: The Civil War Letters of Sergeant John March Cate

If I Live To Come Home: The Civil War Letters Of Sergeant John March Cate is civil war history at its most relevant -- the letters of a common man reflecting on uncommon times. Written by a participant in the momentous events of the 1860s, Sergeant John Cate's (Company D, 33rd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment) letters help tell what those times and events were truly like. These missives reflect he most common rhythms and tribulations of a young husband, father, and soldier. They are filled with personal ruminations, for while war raged around him, Cate also battled against filth, illness, boredom, and homesickness. But these letters also include snippets that give us a clearer picture of the civil war itself -- and the men who fought it. Letters like these (unvarnished, unimproved, immediate, and revealing) are the building blocks of history. If I Live To Come Home is "must reading" for any student of Civil War history and the stuff of which movies and miniseries are made! -- Midwest Book Review