What do you think?
Rate this book
The War Outside My Window: The Civil War Diary of LeRoy Wiley Gresham, 1860-1865
LeRoy Gresham was born in 1847 to an affluent and prominent slaveholding family in Macon, Georgia. As a young child he suffered a horrific leg and back injury that left him an invalid. Educated, inquisitive, perceptive, and exceptionally witty, the 12-year-old began keeping a journal in 1860--just before secession and Civil War tore the country and his world apart. He continued to write even as his health deteriorated until both the war and his life ended in 1865. His unique view of a waning age is published here for the first time in A Son of Georgia: The Civil War Journals of LeRoy Wiley Gresham, 1860-1865. The precocious youngster who read Shakespeare and Dickens, loved math, and played chess took in the world from his bed and inside a small wagon pulled around town by a slave his own age. Thirsting for news, LeRoy immersed himself in newspapers, letters, books, and adult conversation, following the course of the war closely as he recorded its impact on his family, his community, and the new Southern Confederacy. LeRoy's older brother Thomas served with Lee's army in Virginia, as did many uncles and neighbors. The wealthy slaveholding family had a deep stake in its outcome. Little escaped LeRoy's pen. His journals brim with both practical and philosophical observations on everything from the course of the war, politics, and family matters, to Macon's social activities, food, weather, and his beloved pets. The young scribe often voiced concern about "Houston," the family's plantation outside town. He recorded his interactions and relationships with "servants" and "valets" Howard, Eaveline, "Mammy Dinah" and others as he pondered the fate of human bondage and his family's fortunes. LeRoy's declining health is a consistent thread coursing through his fascinating journals. "I feel more discouraged [and] less hopeful about getting well than I ever did before," he wrote on March 17, 1863. "I am weaker and more helpless than I ever was." Morphine and other "remedies" eased his suffering. Bedsores developed; nagging coughs often consumed him. Alternating between bouts of euphoria and despondency, he would often write, "Saw off my leg." Edited and annotated with meticulous care by Janet Croon, A Son of Georgia: The Civil War Journals of LeRoy Wiley Gresham, 1860-1865 captures the spirit and the character of a young privileged white teenager witnessing the demise of his world even as his own body is slowly failing him. Just as Anne Frank has come down to us as the adolescent voice of World War II, LeRoy Gresham will now be remembered as a young voice of the Civil War South.
480 pages, Hardcover
Published June 1, 2018
308 people are currently reading
430 people want to read
About the author
Janet Elizabeth Croon
3 books23 followersJanet Croon has recently retired from teaching advanced high school history in Fairfax County, Virginia. Originally from the Chicago area, she has lived in several places, including Dayton, OH, Albuquerque, NM, and Wiesbaden, Germany before eventually ending up in the Northern Virginia suburbs.
She holds degrees from the University of Illinois (BA '83) in Political Science, Modern European History, and Russian Language and Area Studies and the University of Dayton (MA '85) in International Relations. (This was all very handy when living in Germany in 1989 when the Berllin Wall came down!) She began teaching World History and Twentieth Century Topics in the International Baccalaureate Programme, for which she also did some contract work as a program moderator and student paper examiner.
The love for the Civil War came almost by accident, finding out that she was working with her lawyer on her divorce papers in the former home of a Confederate female spy, and then reading a book about that same spy's friend a number of years later. (More books on this to follow...)
With two grown daughters successfully launched, Jan spends a lot of her spare time knitting, cross-stitching, watching Cubs baseball, and enjoying the history of the area once occupied by either Blue or Grey for the entirety of the Civil War. Her black cat, Kittn, supervises.
She holds degrees from the University of Illinois (BA '83) in Political Science, Modern European History, and Russian Language and Area Studies and the University of Dayton (MA '85) in International Relations. (This was all very handy when living in Germany in 1989 when the Berllin Wall came down!) She began teaching World History and Twentieth Century Topics in the International Baccalaureate Programme, for which she also did some contract work as a program moderator and student paper examiner.
The love for the Civil War came almost by accident, finding out that she was working with her lawyer on her divorce papers in the former home of a Confederate female spy, and then reading a book about that same spy's friend a number of years later. (More books on this to follow...)
With two grown daughters successfully launched, Jan spends a lot of her spare time knitting, cross-stitching, watching Cubs baseball, and enjoying the history of the area once occupied by either Blue or Grey for the entirety of the Civil War. Her black cat, Kittn, supervises.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
October 13, 2023
A day-by-day diary kept by a young teenager during the Civil War should be an enlightening read, but unfortunately this journal of LeRoy Gresham is mostly dull with entry after entry of what he ate every day and the news of the battles as reported by Southern newspapers.
Gresham lives in Macon, Georgia and does not seem affected by the War, except for near the end when his sister is sent away when it was thought General Sherman was coming to Macon. He is part of a very wealthy family and the Greshams mainly escape the worst during the conflict.
One reason of the dullness of the diary is that LeRoy is dying and mostly bedridden so he only comments on what he reads or is told and not what he experiences. He is well read but also immature so his views of slavery and the cause of the Confederacy is one of a young man who has never questioned his way of life. This diary is well edited, and the best part are the footnotes which further explains LeRoy's condition and the myriad characters mentioned in the diary.
Gresham lives in Macon, Georgia and does not seem affected by the War, except for near the end when his sister is sent away when it was thought General Sherman was coming to Macon. He is part of a very wealthy family and the Greshams mainly escape the worst during the conflict.
One reason of the dullness of the diary is that LeRoy is dying and mostly bedridden so he only comments on what he reads or is told and not what he experiences. He is well read but also immature so his views of slavery and the cause of the Confederacy is one of a young man who has never questioned his way of life. This diary is well edited, and the best part are the footnotes which further explains LeRoy's condition and the myriad characters mentioned in the diary.
June 12, 2018
There is something essential to primary sources as we study the American Civil War. And yet, when we look at those sources, especially with those who served in the military, there are some who say that we should take what they claim with a grain of salt. However, the same cannot be said for some of the primary sources which come from the civilian end of the American Civil War. There is something sincere about them, something which screams truth at the reader. The War Outside My Window is one such work that, to me, had a great deal of truth to it. Edited by Janet Elizabeth Croon, this work is one which every Civil War Scholar should take a look at.
Janet E. Croon graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelors in Political Science, Modern European History, and Russian Language and Area Studies. She also holds a Masters Degree from the University of Dayton in International Studies. For twenty years, she has been teaching International Baccalaureate History and as she lives in northern Virginia, she has gained a great interest in the Civil War. As of this review, this is her first book.
The War Outside My Window chronicles the diary of LeRoy Wiley Gresham during the American Civil War. We learn much about his lifestyle and family as the dates go by throughout the book, learning that he had come from a slaveholding family in Georgia. Mainly living as an invalid, he had leg and back injuries, but was educated and quite witty at times. He began this journal as secession started to take place and his own observations proved quite interesting as he saw what this conflict was going to do, not only to America, but to the world as he saw it. For a young boy of twelve years old, his scholarly pursuits and educated readings truly came out in his writing as the war went on. Not only were there poignant statements about what was happening to the world that he knew, mainly the slaveholding south, but his health which was constantly in decline. Much of that enters his writing which shows that he had maturity to pen such horrid thoughts about his life and how his declining health was getting the better of him at times. But what I took the most from this source was the interesting dynamic of the loss of his way of life, the concerns which the family had over the outcome of the war. His words truly brought life in the Civil War south to life for me, especially coming from such an affluent family such as his. It’s books like these that leave a stamp on you, and The War Outside My Window will always remain in my mind.
I’m not sure what else I can say about this book. It’s truly a great insight into the mind of a child as the world he knew was crashing down. I highly recommend this work to anyone interested in the Civil War, especially if you are interested in the civilian life. The work which Janel Elizabeth Croon accomplished here should be praised and remembered for ages to come. Not only does she give us that proper look into the life of the civilian in the South, she adds on top of that the outlook of a young teenager. This is not to be missed. Highly Recommended!
Matthew Bartlett
Janet E. Croon graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelors in Political Science, Modern European History, and Russian Language and Area Studies. She also holds a Masters Degree from the University of Dayton in International Studies. For twenty years, she has been teaching International Baccalaureate History and as she lives in northern Virginia, she has gained a great interest in the Civil War. As of this review, this is her first book.
The War Outside My Window chronicles the diary of LeRoy Wiley Gresham during the American Civil War. We learn much about his lifestyle and family as the dates go by throughout the book, learning that he had come from a slaveholding family in Georgia. Mainly living as an invalid, he had leg and back injuries, but was educated and quite witty at times. He began this journal as secession started to take place and his own observations proved quite interesting as he saw what this conflict was going to do, not only to America, but to the world as he saw it. For a young boy of twelve years old, his scholarly pursuits and educated readings truly came out in his writing as the war went on. Not only were there poignant statements about what was happening to the world that he knew, mainly the slaveholding south, but his health which was constantly in decline. Much of that enters his writing which shows that he had maturity to pen such horrid thoughts about his life and how his declining health was getting the better of him at times. But what I took the most from this source was the interesting dynamic of the loss of his way of life, the concerns which the family had over the outcome of the war. His words truly brought life in the Civil War south to life for me, especially coming from such an affluent family such as his. It’s books like these that leave a stamp on you, and The War Outside My Window will always remain in my mind.
I’m not sure what else I can say about this book. It’s truly a great insight into the mind of a child as the world he knew was crashing down. I highly recommend this work to anyone interested in the Civil War, especially if you are interested in the civilian life. The work which Janel Elizabeth Croon accomplished here should be praised and remembered for ages to come. Not only does she give us that proper look into the life of the civilian in the South, she adds on top of that the outlook of a young teenager. This is not to be missed. Highly Recommended!
Matthew Bartlett
April 7, 2019
LeRoy's diary was a sad, difficult read. His struggle with tuberculosis was nightmarish, and his descriptions of his oozing pus-filled back made me a little queasy. I feel sorry that such a bright boy didn't get to live past age seventeen. While he was suffering, the war destroyed his community, and his friends and neighbors struggled to buy food and medicine. As the war ended, every school and facility near LeRoy's home was filled with the wounded and dying. This is a very hard read. I don't know how else to describe it.
June 21, 2023
This book is the truth documentation of a young boy's experience of life and death during the Civil War in Macon, Ga. I have read excerpts of diaries written by soldiers, including my husband's great great grandfather, but I doubt their veracity. In the case of the family one some of the dates and records don't add up. I have also read the famous diaries written by women.
This one was written by a bright, observant teenage boy who was honest, diligent and dedicated to his craft.
He was also, though he did not know it, dying of tuberculosis. His fading life is also documented in detail as are his hopes for the South he loves so much.
This one was written by a bright, observant teenage boy who was honest, diligent and dedicated to his craft.
He was also, though he did not know it, dying of tuberculosis. His fading life is also documented in detail as are his hopes for the South he loves so much.
June 12, 2018
This book is a gem - I could not wait to get done with work/family responsibilities every day for a week and get back to knowing LeRoy Wiley Gresham. Another entry in my Goodreads shelf called “Sad it Ended.”
LeRoy writes about his pets, who has visited, who they got a letter from, follows the Civil War (generals, battles, troop movements), writes about what he’s eating, shares his ongoing ailments, tells what slaves have come to the house from the plantation way out in the country, updates us on the weather, tells us what his parents and siblings are doing, what’s going on at church, and keeps us updated on books he’s reading. His reading list would challenge AP English high school students today.
At times his diary/the book does plod along, especially in 1861-1862, when the war is far away. But let’s face it - how many of us have something noteworthy to write about every day? But LeRoy gets an entry in nearly every day over five years. It’s the small details of everyday life that make you feel like you know him. Getting fireworks for Christmas - what boy doesn’t love that - and who knew that was a thing 160 years ago?
And his wit - I laughed out loud at him relating a story of a woman on a train whom no gentleman stood up and gave up his seat until the conductor asked them too. And chess! He writes about his chess games, “Played three games of chess with father, two I beat [won], one he beat.” His physical ailments prevent him from playing “townball,” a precursor to baseball, with the boys downtown, so in his wagon on the sidelines he keeps score. Have you ever had a neighbor’s dog not stop barking? LeRoy has and relates his misery at it. And when they visit grandmother in Athens, Ga for a few months - LeRoy is irritated that there’s no telegraph service there, and he has no idea what’s going on in the world! I’m reminded of kids today bellyaching that grandma doesn’t have wifi or has crappy cell service - ha!
And for those of you who are Christians in the evangelical sense (Jesus as your personal savior), LeRoy was too. His family are active in First Presbyterian Church, Macon, where his father was an elder. His mom’s letter to his aunt after he died is a tearjerker. And, spoiler, his nephew (his sister Minnie’s son) is the theologian J. Gresham Machen, founder of Westminster Theological Seminary.
The editor Janet Elizabeth Croon did a great job researching his extensive family tree, and provides a “who’s who” at the beginning of all the relatives and friends that come and go. The amount of footnotes is just right - they explain what is going on in the war (LeRoy doesn’t have the whole picture), words we don’t use anymore, and other practices we are not familiar with. I have a background as a middle school history teacher, and majored in history in college. This book is a game-changer for the curriculum, and one could teach the entire Civil War using this primary source. I plan to make it a must-read for all of my kids, and am working to see how it can be integrated in their school curriculums.
LeRoy writes about his pets, who has visited, who they got a letter from, follows the Civil War (generals, battles, troop movements), writes about what he’s eating, shares his ongoing ailments, tells what slaves have come to the house from the plantation way out in the country, updates us on the weather, tells us what his parents and siblings are doing, what’s going on at church, and keeps us updated on books he’s reading. His reading list would challenge AP English high school students today.
At times his diary/the book does plod along, especially in 1861-1862, when the war is far away. But let’s face it - how many of us have something noteworthy to write about every day? But LeRoy gets an entry in nearly every day over five years. It’s the small details of everyday life that make you feel like you know him. Getting fireworks for Christmas - what boy doesn’t love that - and who knew that was a thing 160 years ago?
And his wit - I laughed out loud at him relating a story of a woman on a train whom no gentleman stood up and gave up his seat until the conductor asked them too. And chess! He writes about his chess games, “Played three games of chess with father, two I beat [won], one he beat.” His physical ailments prevent him from playing “townball,” a precursor to baseball, with the boys downtown, so in his wagon on the sidelines he keeps score. Have you ever had a neighbor’s dog not stop barking? LeRoy has and relates his misery at it. And when they visit grandmother in Athens, Ga for a few months - LeRoy is irritated that there’s no telegraph service there, and he has no idea what’s going on in the world! I’m reminded of kids today bellyaching that grandma doesn’t have wifi or has crappy cell service - ha!
And for those of you who are Christians in the evangelical sense (Jesus as your personal savior), LeRoy was too. His family are active in First Presbyterian Church, Macon, where his father was an elder. His mom’s letter to his aunt after he died is a tearjerker. And, spoiler, his nephew (his sister Minnie’s son) is the theologian J. Gresham Machen, founder of Westminster Theological Seminary.
The editor Janet Elizabeth Croon did a great job researching his extensive family tree, and provides a “who’s who” at the beginning of all the relatives and friends that come and go. The amount of footnotes is just right - they explain what is going on in the war (LeRoy doesn’t have the whole picture), words we don’t use anymore, and other practices we are not familiar with. I have a background as a middle school history teacher, and majored in history in college. This book is a game-changer for the curriculum, and one could teach the entire Civil War using this primary source. I plan to make it a must-read for all of my kids, and am working to see how it can be integrated in their school curriculums.
June 26, 2018
The War Outside My Window is the first of its type I've read. It took me a long time to read it, but it was worth every minute. LeRoy Gresham lived in Macon, Georgia. Because I live in Houston County Georgia, near Macon, and go to Macon frequently, the "story" revealed in his diary really had special meaning to me. In fact, I have even been in the Gresham home on one occasion. I sing in a Sweet Adeline Quartet and we were asked to deliver a Singing Valentine to an employee of the inn there. I had no idea of the history of that beautiful place.
I thought I knew a lot about Civil War history in Georgia, but LeRoy's accounts of the happenings made it come alive. The footnotes provided by the editor, Janet E. Croon, were most helpful. I highly recommend this book.
I thought I knew a lot about Civil War history in Georgia, but LeRoy's accounts of the happenings made it come alive. The footnotes provided by the editor, Janet E. Croon, were most helpful. I highly recommend this book.
June 1, 2018
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
When he was twelve, LeRoy Wiley Gresham, of Macon, Georgia starts keeping a daily journal (well, as close to it as anyone really ever does). The year is 1860 and he and his father are headed to Philadelphia to consult with leading doctors about LeRoy's medical condition, which local physicians have been unsuccessful in dealing with -- the book contains a medical foreword and afterword that will explain these circumstances better than LeRoy ever does (partially because he doesn't have the whole story). From Philadelphia they return home and to talk of succession -- it's not long before the Confederacy is born and Fort Sumter is fired upon. This is the setting for these journals -- published for the first time this year.
LeRoy was born to be a Southern Gentleman and was raised as such -- and between the War, his age and disease, he never really had an opportunity to examine his upbringing. As such, he is incredibly partisan, shows nothing but contempt for the Union, Lincoln, the Union Army, etc. The language and attitudes he uses toward his family's slaves (and pretty much everyone's slaves) is par for the course during the Civil War, readers need to remember this going on. He is also a pretty astute observer and realist -- when the tide begins to turn for the Confederacy, he's aware and his upfront about it (there are even traces of "I told you so" to his writing when it comes to certain strategies).
Meanwhile, life continues -- people go to school, crops are grown and harvested, babies are born, people die and are married, kids get pets. LeRoy's family were staunch Presbyterians, his father a leader in the local church -- presbytery and synod meetings are also reported on.
For LeRoy, the years after his return from Philadelphia (and those leading up to it, really) are also years of deteriorating health, bouts of pain, and ineffective treatments. Those who put this book together have determined (and it seems only likely) that there are two major health problems going on here -- a horrific leg injury sustained when he was 8 and tuberculosis. Neither did him any favors -- his life wasn't going to be easy just with the injury, but TB made it short. Tracing the worsening of each is tragic -- and LeRoy dies not long after the end of the War.
All of these topics are detailed and recorded -- almost every day -- in a few brief sentences. Sometimes it can be jarring the way he'll go from casualty numbers, to talk about his coughing, to a comment on peach harvests and the book he's reading in a paragraph a little briefer than some of the longer ones in this post. But that's just what was on his mind that day. Sometimes there are strange doodles or other things recorded, lists of Bible questions, practice trials of his own developing signature and other things like that (often with photos included).
The War reporting is going to get the bulk of each reader's attention. Which is completely understandable -- and it gets about half of the space of the book, the other topics compete for the other half of the space. His information (as the wonderful footnotes demonstrate) is frequently mistaken -- and he knows his, and will often speculate about as he reports what the newspapers say. We're used to news stories developing over minutes and hours, LeRoy had to be content with learning about something days after the event, and then still learning details weeks later. His frustration about that is seen occasionally -- especially as te War grinds on and it's harder for newspapers to be printed and delivered (paper itself becomes scarce). At one point there's such an outbreak of smallpox that there's no one available to bring his family their newspaper, so they have to send someone to retrieve it -- LeRoy's utter disgust at that is both hard to believe and completely human. "Fascinating" doesn't come close to reading his perceptions and understanding the events that are history to us - talking about famous battles as they're happening and news is getting out. His account of Sherman's March is incredible - and adds so much perspective to the contemporary reader's own understanding.
Normally, this writing would be something I'd pan and complain about. But this was never intended for publication -- that's clear -- it's a young man's private journal and reads like it. You see a growth in his style, his way of thinking -- and reading. But it isn't an easy read with a strong narrative pulling you along. It's repetitive, full of details that mean only something to him, stupid humor written for an audience of one (which isn't to say that I don't appreciate his wit). Don't expect to enjoy this read, to find a style that will grab you (or really, any style at all). It's authentic -- and not authentic in a "so well researched and told that it might as well be the real thing" way, but in a this is what this person thought and recorded about others' thoughts in the 1860s to himself -- it's completely honest (well, there might be some self-deception/self-aggrandizement at work, but not much).
I grew to really like LeRoy -- his attitude, his quiet faith, his patience, his stupid jokes, his intelligence. You watch someone's life day-to-day for a few years and you almost can't help it. His death -- which I knew was coming before I opened the book, and knew was nigh given the date (and lack of pages left in the book) -- struck me hard. I couldn't believe it, really, but I got emotional in the last couple of entries.
His last entries are followed by the text of his obituary from the Macon Telegraph and a letter that his mother sent to her sister which filled in some details about his last days and condition. That letter is a great touch and helps you see that a lot of what you had learned about LeRoy from his writing was also seen by his family -- it wasn't just LeRoy's self-image. You also see that LeRoy's critical gaze, which is displayed frequently, was a family trait (but pretty understandable in the context)
The effort putting this book together -- transcribing, deciphering, tracing the family members and friends -- the medical research to diagnose LeRoy all these years later) -- I can't fathom. Croon deserves so much more reward than she'll likely ever receive for this. Really, I'm in awe of her work. The Publisher's Preface, Introduction, and Postscript (and aforementioned Medical Foreword/Afterword) are must-reads and will help the reader appreciate LeRoy's own writing and Croon's efforts.
Every so often, reading my email can be surreal -- getting a request to read and post about this book was one of those times. The same form has led me to read a book about a P.I. with a talking (and sentient!) arm, a crime solving frog, and a werewolf rock star -- and now, this literally unique book?* I've rarely felt so inadequate to the task. What do I know from historic diaries? Here's what I can say -- you have never read anything like this -- it will appeal to the armchair historian in you (particularly if you've ever dabbled in being a Civil War buff); it'll appeal to want an idea what everyday life was like 150 years ago; there's a medical case study, too -- this combination of themes is impossible to find anywhere else. This won't be the easiest read you come across this year (whatever year it is that you come across it), but it'll be one of the most compelling.
It feels stupid putting a star rating on this -- but, hey, that's the convention, so...no doubt about it: 5 BIG stars.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for this post and my honest opinions.
---
* Which is not to say that there weren't merit to these books or that there weren't others -- of comparable quality to this. I could provide lists.
---
When he was twelve, LeRoy Wiley Gresham, of Macon, Georgia starts keeping a daily journal (well, as close to it as anyone really ever does). The year is 1860 and he and his father are headed to Philadelphia to consult with leading doctors about LeRoy's medical condition, which local physicians have been unsuccessful in dealing with -- the book contains a medical foreword and afterword that will explain these circumstances better than LeRoy ever does (partially because he doesn't have the whole story). From Philadelphia they return home and to talk of succession -- it's not long before the Confederacy is born and Fort Sumter is fired upon. This is the setting for these journals -- published for the first time this year.
LeRoy was born to be a Southern Gentleman and was raised as such -- and between the War, his age and disease, he never really had an opportunity to examine his upbringing. As such, he is incredibly partisan, shows nothing but contempt for the Union, Lincoln, the Union Army, etc. The language and attitudes he uses toward his family's slaves (and pretty much everyone's slaves) is par for the course during the Civil War, readers need to remember this going on. He is also a pretty astute observer and realist -- when the tide begins to turn for the Confederacy, he's aware and his upfront about it (there are even traces of "I told you so" to his writing when it comes to certain strategies).
Meanwhile, life continues -- people go to school, crops are grown and harvested, babies are born, people die and are married, kids get pets. LeRoy's family were staunch Presbyterians, his father a leader in the local church -- presbytery and synod meetings are also reported on.
For LeRoy, the years after his return from Philadelphia (and those leading up to it, really) are also years of deteriorating health, bouts of pain, and ineffective treatments. Those who put this book together have determined (and it seems only likely) that there are two major health problems going on here -- a horrific leg injury sustained when he was 8 and tuberculosis. Neither did him any favors -- his life wasn't going to be easy just with the injury, but TB made it short. Tracing the worsening of each is tragic -- and LeRoy dies not long after the end of the War.
All of these topics are detailed and recorded -- almost every day -- in a few brief sentences. Sometimes it can be jarring the way he'll go from casualty numbers, to talk about his coughing, to a comment on peach harvests and the book he's reading in a paragraph a little briefer than some of the longer ones in this post. But that's just what was on his mind that day. Sometimes there are strange doodles or other things recorded, lists of Bible questions, practice trials of his own developing signature and other things like that (often with photos included).
The War reporting is going to get the bulk of each reader's attention. Which is completely understandable -- and it gets about half of the space of the book, the other topics compete for the other half of the space. His information (as the wonderful footnotes demonstrate) is frequently mistaken -- and he knows his, and will often speculate about as he reports what the newspapers say. We're used to news stories developing over minutes and hours, LeRoy had to be content with learning about something days after the event, and then still learning details weeks later. His frustration about that is seen occasionally -- especially as te War grinds on and it's harder for newspapers to be printed and delivered (paper itself becomes scarce). At one point there's such an outbreak of smallpox that there's no one available to bring his family their newspaper, so they have to send someone to retrieve it -- LeRoy's utter disgust at that is both hard to believe and completely human. "Fascinating" doesn't come close to reading his perceptions and understanding the events that are history to us - talking about famous battles as they're happening and news is getting out. His account of Sherman's March is incredible - and adds so much perspective to the contemporary reader's own understanding.
Normally, this writing would be something I'd pan and complain about. But this was never intended for publication -- that's clear -- it's a young man's private journal and reads like it. You see a growth in his style, his way of thinking -- and reading. But it isn't an easy read with a strong narrative pulling you along. It's repetitive, full of details that mean only something to him, stupid humor written for an audience of one (which isn't to say that I don't appreciate his wit). Don't expect to enjoy this read, to find a style that will grab you (or really, any style at all). It's authentic -- and not authentic in a "so well researched and told that it might as well be the real thing" way, but in a this is what this person thought and recorded about others' thoughts in the 1860s to himself -- it's completely honest (well, there might be some self-deception/self-aggrandizement at work, but not much).
I grew to really like LeRoy -- his attitude, his quiet faith, his patience, his stupid jokes, his intelligence. You watch someone's life day-to-day for a few years and you almost can't help it. His death -- which I knew was coming before I opened the book, and knew was nigh given the date (and lack of pages left in the book) -- struck me hard. I couldn't believe it, really, but I got emotional in the last couple of entries.
His last entries are followed by the text of his obituary from the Macon Telegraph and a letter that his mother sent to her sister which filled in some details about his last days and condition. That letter is a great touch and helps you see that a lot of what you had learned about LeRoy from his writing was also seen by his family -- it wasn't just LeRoy's self-image. You also see that LeRoy's critical gaze, which is displayed frequently, was a family trait (but pretty understandable in the context)
The effort putting this book together -- transcribing, deciphering, tracing the family members and friends -- the medical research to diagnose LeRoy all these years later) -- I can't fathom. Croon deserves so much more reward than she'll likely ever receive for this. Really, I'm in awe of her work. The Publisher's Preface, Introduction, and Postscript (and aforementioned Medical Foreword/Afterword) are must-reads and will help the reader appreciate LeRoy's own writing and Croon's efforts.
Every so often, reading my email can be surreal -- getting a request to read and post about this book was one of those times. The same form has led me to read a book about a P.I. with a talking (and sentient!) arm, a crime solving frog, and a werewolf rock star -- and now, this literally unique book?* I've rarely felt so inadequate to the task. What do I know from historic diaries? Here's what I can say -- you have never read anything like this -- it will appeal to the armchair historian in you (particularly if you've ever dabbled in being a Civil War buff); it'll appeal to want an idea what everyday life was like 150 years ago; there's a medical case study, too -- this combination of themes is impossible to find anywhere else. This won't be the easiest read you come across this year (whatever year it is that you come across it), but it'll be one of the most compelling.
It feels stupid putting a star rating on this -- but, hey, that's the convention, so...no doubt about it: 5 BIG stars.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for this post and my honest opinions.
---
* Which is not to say that there weren't merit to these books or that there weren't others -- of comparable quality to this. I could provide lists.
Read
July 11, 2018I'm not going to rate this book because it was a diary. I can't judge someone's writing who never intended to share it. What I can say is this though. The editors need to soft peddle the racism (and bonus anti-semitism) expressed is sad. If we cannot address history and its brutal impact on the "others" each generation creates it will never allow us to change. These people profited throughout the war off the literal backs of the enslaved population on their plantations. Ironically, they never wanted for food, gifts, or firewood during the war they, the planter aristocracy, created to ensure the profits they generated by enslaving generations continued unabated. It is ugly, yes. It is brutal, yes. It is not something to be contextualized as oh, well it was a different time. If we can all agree that there was never a time when genocide was acceptable we can all agree there was never a time enslaving humans was, period.
June 10, 2018
The War Outside My Window edited by Janet Elizabeth Croon and published by Savas Beatie is an unusual look into the civil war through the eyes of an invalid teenager. The introductory materials at the beginning allow you to become a part of LeRoy’s worlds and LeRoy himself gives complete accounts of his illness, weather, his personal observations and the comings and goings of family members during this unsettling time of our Nation’s History. Diaries are very personal and these diaries span a five year period allowing the reader to get to intimately know LeRoy Gresham, his physical condition, and the goings on of the Confederate South as he views it.
June 13, 2018
Life in the CSA
Gave me a great glimpse of southern life and mindset during the Civil War as seen through the eyes of a wealthy teenage young invalid
Gave me a great glimpse of southern life and mindset during the Civil War as seen through the eyes of a wealthy teenage young invalid
August 6, 2018
This is the diary of a young kid in Macon, Georgia, that ironically, begins right before the start of the Civil War and ends right after its conclusion, when the author dies of (we suspect) some weird type of tuberculosis. I give it three stars because, here's the thing, reading a diary is kind of like watching paint dry. Most of the people you aren't familiar with because they're his family and extended family members, or characters in Macon. So it makes for some dry reading. Having said that, it is a fascinating diary [He was age 12-17 when writing it] because he does write a lot about current events and especially the war. Some things that came to mind as I read:
1. LeRoy was a person of his times. He was born into a wealthy family who owned slaves and he refers to them at various times as "darkies," "nigs," etc. He doesn't seem to have any ill will against them, just takes on the attitudes of the culture around him. We are all creatures of our culture and assimilate it's values, good and bad, without really thinking about it. LeRoy did the same and I don't hold this against him. It never seems to have occurred to him to question the institution of slavery.
2. Death was an every day part of life, much more so than our own culture [speaking of being creatures of our own culture]. It doesn't seem like hardly a week or so that goes by that he does not mention someone who died. I think this fact allowed them to view the great slaughter that took place during the war, with less horror than we might expect.
3. For some weird reason, his family knew that he was dying—his tuberculosis was incurable—but never told him. LeRoy figures the fact out only a couple of days before he actually dies. Why they would not tell him he was dying is a mystery.
4. There is an appendix to the diary which is a letter by his mother a few months after her son died and it is heartbreakingly sad.
1. LeRoy was a person of his times. He was born into a wealthy family who owned slaves and he refers to them at various times as "darkies," "nigs," etc. He doesn't seem to have any ill will against them, just takes on the attitudes of the culture around him. We are all creatures of our culture and assimilate it's values, good and bad, without really thinking about it. LeRoy did the same and I don't hold this against him. It never seems to have occurred to him to question the institution of slavery.
2. Death was an every day part of life, much more so than our own culture [speaking of being creatures of our own culture]. It doesn't seem like hardly a week or so that goes by that he does not mention someone who died. I think this fact allowed them to view the great slaughter that took place during the war, with less horror than we might expect.
3. For some weird reason, his family knew that he was dying—his tuberculosis was incurable—but never told him. LeRoy figures the fact out only a couple of days before he actually dies. Why they would not tell him he was dying is a mystery.
4. There is an appendix to the diary which is a letter by his mother a few months after her son died and it is heartbreakingly sad.
July 13, 2018
Absolutely wonderful book! LeRoy Wiley Gresham's diaries are a true window into how he saw the Civil War literally from his window in Macon, Georgia. LeRoy would pass away from TB shortly after the war ended - he was never told by his parents that he was dying. This young man was a voracious reader. His diary postings not only describe how the war was going but talk about his family, friends and the slaves his father owned - his family was well-to-do and owned 2 plantations. You also follow the progression of his disease as he talks about how he feels on a daily basis. This is truly a remarkable book - the footnotes are like an extra book. The editor, Jan Croon, has done a remarkable genealogy on the over 120 people mentioned in the diaries. This really is a 5+ star book.
August 1, 2023
🖋️ LeRoy Wiley Gresham (1847-65) wrote his diary from 1860 to June 1865. What makes this diary extraordinary is that it was written by a teenaged boy during the American Civil War; most diaries from this era were written by girls and women.
This diary is an eye-opener, a joy, a shock, a gem.
LeRoy, or “Loy” as his family called him, came from a rich and prominent Macon, Georgia family. They owned two plantations in nearby Houston County, Georgia (Houston is pronounced How-ston). Moreover, they owned a factory mill in town. His father, John J. Gresham, was twice mayor of Macon, an attorney, and judge. Little is known about LeRoy’s mother, Mary Baxter Gresham. We do have much more information on his brother, Thomas, and his sister, Mary (a.k.a. “Minnie”).
LeRoy was ill with what a modern era doctor diagnosed as tuberculosis (spinal, perhaps). (See I Am Perhaps Dying: The Medical Backstory of Spinal Tuberculosis Hidden in the Civil War Diary of LeRoy Wiley Gresham by Dennis A. Rasbach MD FACS regarding LeRoy’s ailments.) Although the records are lost to history regarding when exactly he contracted the tuberculosis, we do know that when he was eight years old, a chimney from a burnt-up building fell on him, breaking his leg. (Note to kids: We told you not to play in the empty lot!) To relieve his abscesses, pain, digestive problems, et al, LeRoy took paregoric, laudanum, morphine, Catawba wine, brandy, whisky, porter, bismuth, black pepper tea, calomel, Blue Mass (mercury), opium, lettuce opium, hypophosphite of lime, Jimson weed, mustard plasters, et cetera. We also get a look at dentistry practices at that time: not only does he need a filling in his left front tooth, but his mother and sister make trips to the dentist (Mother needed dentures; Sister needed work done).
Yet, his illness is not the only subject of his diary. We learn about the multi-generational family members, friends, prominent citizens, servants (a.k.a. slaves), foods eaten, vegetables and flowers planted, and the wonderful vernacular of the era. We also learn how the war affected the family and neighbors; the growing devaluation of the Confederate dollar, the all-too-familiar inflation, the scarcity of all items, the loyalty of servants, the can-do attitude of making do with palmetto leaves to make shoes and hats, and the thievery by neighbors and soldiers who took their peaches off their backyard trees in the dark of night. He was a practicing Presbyterian, and he read many church publications, made it church when he could, and noted the Sabbath speakers.
We see that climate change, global warming, or the earth has a fever (regardless how it is called today or will be tomorrow) was a thing back then. 😀 In his entry of Tuesday, August 11, 1863, he writes:
He writes about the stifling heat every summer, and the dreaded icy cold every winter.
Here and there we read that the servants, or “darkies” as he called them, had their own celebrations in the college building, they dressed nicely, and they had what seems to be a comfortable life of employment and relaxation.
Daily life is meticulously documented by LeRoy. He wrote about their pets: a male cat they named Kitty and called a “she” which seemed to be a family joke; he wrote about the many dogs they had, too, and their fates. One of the dogs had fleas, and the treatment was a liquid bath made with walnut leaves. We also learn about the Confederal fasting days proclaimed by Jefferson Davis, and the sacrifices the Gresham family had to make, just as everyone had to, regardless of their social standing or amount of money in the bank.
LeRoy was a voracious reader. I made a list of the books and magazines and newspapers he read, and I recorded 100+ such reading materials. Many of those publications are to this day available somewhere on-line as e-books, a very few are still elusive. Now, take this in mind – LeRoy was reading, understanding, and enjoying William Shakespeare, John Milton, Walter Scott, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow et cetera at least by age thirteen.
Also at least by this time, he was a crack chess player, using moves that master chess players employ. He also liked to solve complex mathematics problems with encouragement from his older brother, Thomas. He apparently had an appreciation for language, since many times he used words that I would expect from someone much older, and he plays with words by creating anagrams, et cetera.
Moreover, LeRoy writes about and summarizes war accounts he read about in the newspapers. He showed an ability to analyze and come to his own conclusions, too.
I saw no prejudice towards LeRoy, and I bring this up because so often I read that people who lived before “our current enlightened time” (I say tongue-in-cheek) were mean, rotten, bigots towards disabled people. What I read and discerned is that every person with whom he was in contact treated him with the best of friendship, kindness, and thoughtfulness. I do not buy that old saw that generally, people back when were nasty towards the deformed and ill.
How did LeRoy get around? He used crutches early on, and he was pulled in a specially made wagon with suspension – but when his legs drew up and would not straighten out ever again, he mostly stayed on his couch. We do not have a photograph or sketch of the wagon, but I imagine it was well-built since it had suspension and leather cushions. My research led to not even a vague clue what it could have looked like. Darn.
There is so much to write about concerning LeRoy’s diary, that to do so would mean I would write a multi-hundred-page book. Well, not this time. I will leave the rest of his entries to other readers to discover.
At the back of the book, the letter LeRoy’s mother wrote to her sister about his death is touching, and there is also a section by Dennis A. Rasbach MD FACS regarding LeRoy’s ailments, more of which can be read in his book, I Am Perhaps Dying: The Medical Backstory of Spinal Tuberculosis Hidden in the Civil War Diary of LeRoy Wiley Gresham.
LeRoy Wiley Gresham suffered, did without, and nevertheless is a role model for a God-fearing life.
I enjoyed looking over the black and white photographs and diagrams, one that includes the doodles and calligraphy of LeRoy.
And – I learned a new-to-me word: yclept.
📌 Since LeRoy Wiley Gresham is the author of this diary/book, I give five and one-half stars. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2.
📌 The editor, well, I give two stars 🌟🌟for the obvious misreading of LeRoy’s penmanship in many entries, the too-many explanations in footnotes of paregoric (as if it was only a nineteenth century remedy; heck, I took it as a kid, and I never lived in the nineteenth century!), and the mis-dating of Mrs. Gresham’s letter to her sister. It was typed as June 12th, and LeRoy passed away on June 18th.
✨If it is a diary, I am all in and ready to read it. If it is a Civil War era diary, clear the decks, put my calls on hold, and I’ll see you when I am done reading it.
🪦Cemetary information can be found on this link at Find a Grave .
📕 Read from my private library.
⭐️ Library of Congress e-version of the June 12, 1860 - March 26, 1861 diary.
⭐️ Library of Congress e-version of the March 27 to August 1, 1861 diary.
⭐️ Library of Congress e-version of the August 2 to December 30, 1861 diary.
⭐️ Library of Congress e-version of the January 1, 1862 to February 12, 1863 diary.
⭐️ Library of Congress e-version of the 1863, 1 January 1, 1863 to April 30, 1864 diary.
⭐️ Library of Congress e-version of the Transcript of the 1864 diary.
⭐️ Library of Congress e-version of the January 1 to June 9, 1865 diary.
✒️●▬●📃●▬●✒️
Also research the Gresham family. They have many famous and important leaders.
This diary is an eye-opener, a joy, a shock, a gem.
LeRoy, or “Loy” as his family called him, came from a rich and prominent Macon, Georgia family. They owned two plantations in nearby Houston County, Georgia (Houston is pronounced How-ston). Moreover, they owned a factory mill in town. His father, John J. Gresham, was twice mayor of Macon, an attorney, and judge. Little is known about LeRoy’s mother, Mary Baxter Gresham. We do have much more information on his brother, Thomas, and his sister, Mary (a.k.a. “Minnie”).
LeRoy was ill with what a modern era doctor diagnosed as tuberculosis (spinal, perhaps). (See I Am Perhaps Dying: The Medical Backstory of Spinal Tuberculosis Hidden in the Civil War Diary of LeRoy Wiley Gresham by Dennis A. Rasbach MD FACS regarding LeRoy’s ailments.) Although the records are lost to history regarding when exactly he contracted the tuberculosis, we do know that when he was eight years old, a chimney from a burnt-up building fell on him, breaking his leg. (Note to kids: We told you not to play in the empty lot!) To relieve his abscesses, pain, digestive problems, et al, LeRoy took paregoric, laudanum, morphine, Catawba wine, brandy, whisky, porter, bismuth, black pepper tea, calomel, Blue Mass (mercury), opium, lettuce opium, hypophosphite of lime, Jimson weed, mustard plasters, et cetera. We also get a look at dentistry practices at that time: not only does he need a filling in his left front tooth, but his mother and sister make trips to the dentist (Mother needed dentures; Sister needed work done).
Yet, his illness is not the only subject of his diary. We learn about the multi-generational family members, friends, prominent citizens, servants (a.k.a. slaves), foods eaten, vegetables and flowers planted, and the wonderful vernacular of the era. We also learn how the war affected the family and neighbors; the growing devaluation of the Confederate dollar, the all-too-familiar inflation, the scarcity of all items, the loyalty of servants, the can-do attitude of making do with palmetto leaves to make shoes and hats, and the thievery by neighbors and soldiers who took their peaches off their backyard trees in the dark of night. He was a practicing Presbyterian, and he read many church publications, made it church when he could, and noted the Sabbath speakers.
We see that climate change, global warming, or the earth has a fever (regardless how it is called today or will be tomorrow) was a thing back then. 😀 In his entry of Tuesday, August 11, 1863, he writes:
“Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Thermometer at 90 degrees nearly all day.”
He writes about the stifling heat every summer, and the dreaded icy cold every winter.
Here and there we read that the servants, or “darkies” as he called them, had their own celebrations in the college building, they dressed nicely, and they had what seems to be a comfortable life of employment and relaxation.
Daily life is meticulously documented by LeRoy. He wrote about their pets: a male cat they named Kitty and called a “she” which seemed to be a family joke; he wrote about the many dogs they had, too, and their fates. One of the dogs had fleas, and the treatment was a liquid bath made with walnut leaves. We also learn about the Confederal fasting days proclaimed by Jefferson Davis, and the sacrifices the Gresham family had to make, just as everyone had to, regardless of their social standing or amount of money in the bank.
LeRoy was a voracious reader. I made a list of the books and magazines and newspapers he read, and I recorded 100+ such reading materials. Many of those publications are to this day available somewhere on-line as e-books, a very few are still elusive. Now, take this in mind – LeRoy was reading, understanding, and enjoying William Shakespeare, John Milton, Walter Scott, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow et cetera at least by age thirteen.
Also at least by this time, he was a crack chess player, using moves that master chess players employ. He also liked to solve complex mathematics problems with encouragement from his older brother, Thomas. He apparently had an appreciation for language, since many times he used words that I would expect from someone much older, and he plays with words by creating anagrams, et cetera.
Moreover, LeRoy writes about and summarizes war accounts he read about in the newspapers. He showed an ability to analyze and come to his own conclusions, too.
I saw no prejudice towards LeRoy, and I bring this up because so often I read that people who lived before “our current enlightened time” (I say tongue-in-cheek) were mean, rotten, bigots towards disabled people. What I read and discerned is that every person with whom he was in contact treated him with the best of friendship, kindness, and thoughtfulness. I do not buy that old saw that generally, people back when were nasty towards the deformed and ill.
How did LeRoy get around? He used crutches early on, and he was pulled in a specially made wagon with suspension – but when his legs drew up and would not straighten out ever again, he mostly stayed on his couch. We do not have a photograph or sketch of the wagon, but I imagine it was well-built since it had suspension and leather cushions. My research led to not even a vague clue what it could have looked like. Darn.
There is so much to write about concerning LeRoy’s diary, that to do so would mean I would write a multi-hundred-page book. Well, not this time. I will leave the rest of his entries to other readers to discover.
At the back of the book, the letter LeRoy’s mother wrote to her sister about his death is touching, and there is also a section by Dennis A. Rasbach MD FACS regarding LeRoy’s ailments, more of which can be read in his book, I Am Perhaps Dying: The Medical Backstory of Spinal Tuberculosis Hidden in the Civil War Diary of LeRoy Wiley Gresham.
LeRoy Wiley Gresham suffered, did without, and nevertheless is a role model for a God-fearing life.
I enjoyed looking over the black and white photographs and diagrams, one that includes the doodles and calligraphy of LeRoy.
And – I learned a new-to-me word: yclept.
📌 Since LeRoy Wiley Gresham is the author of this diary/book, I give five and one-half stars. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2.
📌 The editor, well, I give two stars 🌟🌟for the obvious misreading of LeRoy’s penmanship in many entries, the too-many explanations in footnotes of paregoric (as if it was only a nineteenth century remedy; heck, I took it as a kid, and I never lived in the nineteenth century!), and the mis-dating of Mrs. Gresham’s letter to her sister. It was typed as June 12th, and LeRoy passed away on June 18th.
✨If it is a diary, I am all in and ready to read it. If it is a Civil War era diary, clear the decks, put my calls on hold, and I’ll see you when I am done reading it.
🪦Cemetary information can be found on this link at Find a Grave .
📕 Read from my private library.
⭐️ Library of Congress e-version of the June 12, 1860 - March 26, 1861 diary.
⭐️ Library of Congress e-version of the March 27 to August 1, 1861 diary.
⭐️ Library of Congress e-version of the August 2 to December 30, 1861 diary.
⭐️ Library of Congress e-version of the January 1, 1862 to February 12, 1863 diary.
⭐️ Library of Congress e-version of the 1863, 1 January 1, 1863 to April 30, 1864 diary.
⭐️ Library of Congress e-version of the Transcript of the 1864 diary.
⭐️ Library of Congress e-version of the January 1 to June 9, 1865 diary.
✒️●▬●📃●▬●✒️
Also research the Gresham family. They have many famous and important leaders.
July 14, 2018
A fascinating look at Georgia during the Civil War from the pen of an invalid teenager.
July 8, 2018
Fascinating!
What a bright young mind. So much spirit and an ability to make the reading of four years worth of personal journals spellbinding. Was so glad to see the pictures at the end of the book. I really wanted to see where and how he lived and to be able to visualize those lived one's around him. What an amazing find!
What a bright young mind. So much spirit and an ability to make the reading of four years worth of personal journals spellbinding. Was so glad to see the pictures at the end of the book. I really wanted to see where and how he lived and to be able to visualize those lived one's around him. What an amazing find!
July 4, 2018
Amazing
This is a living piece of history. A young boy starts to write a diary that continues through the years until his death at the age of 17. It's not only his story that is told, but the story of the South at the time I'd the Civil War and his circle of friends and family
Take your time while you read this story and put yourself into the pages of this amazing endeavor.
Take your time when reading this and pur
This is a living piece of history. A young boy starts to write a diary that continues through the years until his death at the age of 17. It's not only his story that is told, but the story of the South at the time I'd the Civil War and his circle of friends and family
Take your time while you read this story and put yourself into the pages of this amazing endeavor.
Take your time when reading this and pur
May 20, 2019
I love history and I love diaries and journals. I don't want to merely know the big things we're taught in school or only the outcomes, critical dates, and important people. I find myself craving an understanding of what it was like to live in that time. For me, it's a little like time travel. The War Outside My Window is a rare and unique look at one life just before up until just after the Civil War. This diary is celebrated as a look into the day to day Civil War news from the perspective of the well-read and intelligent child of a wealthy southern family but it's much more than that. It's also a look at what his daily life was like and what challenges he faced as a handicapped boy with a life-threatening illness. I found myself reading a little at a time, "visiting" if you will and pondering what I was reading. It is occasionally mundane but I found it to be mostly interesting. It's hard to imagine a family of such wealth shivering in January because their hallway temperature was 30 degrees. Life sure has changed. Later in the diary, you can feel the tension as battle cannons are heard not very far from their house. I was saddened knowing how the story would end, that poor Leroy held on to great hope that one day he would be healed. He was but not in the way he expected. You may be interested to know that the house often spoken of where he wrote this diary still stands in Macon, GA and you can visit and stay there. I very much enjoyed the author's insights and footnotes. My one complaint is that the author's notes could have used some simple proofreading. I think any book-reading friend could have identified most of the mistakes for free so I'm not sure why every modern book has such simple mistakes (duplicate words, misspellings). I'm speaking of the footnotes, not the diary entries, which of course should be unedited. I did appreciate where the author added bracketed words to expand an abbreviation or translate a word into modern American English. Even so, I give this book five stars for value to the world and uniqueness. I enjoyed it very much. Thanks for this book! More please.
November 22, 2020
Where to begin?
My first inclination, and decidedly it is my own opinion is that Leroy was an extremely intelligent and widely read young man. One watches his intellectual growth the farther along one gets in his diary. That being said, I do not, for one minute believe that he was so totally unaware that something abnormal was going on with him. He had access to several papers which probably had ads in them. I have journaled in the past and was always careful to censor what I wrote due to nosey relatives. You never know who will read your diary. I say this because Leroy seems to have done this, because so many entries are impersonal. It's just possible it was always there in the back of his mind. This wasn't available in audio,so I kept footnote notes because they are situated to the end of each section of the diary. He was so consumed by chess; here, he could fight and win battles on a chessboard, and he was so very good at it.
I learned a great deal from Leroy's writings. He was talented, and he seemed to have a journalistic style. Here was a fascinating mind, but a guarded one. I realized also that as his disease progressed, he found more joy in all the little details about his home life. He seemed to appreciate the beauty of nature and dwelling on the weather is something any planter does. He writes of watching Howard plant seeds, but worried that the weather would have good or ill effects. He enjoyed the whole process from start to finish. The only time he gets really personal,is when he writes about the war which he tried to keep track of on a daily basis. As the diary goes on, some of his compassion for people and animals shines briefly. I was glued to this book, but I didn't think it lived up to the glowing foreward that Dr. Rasbach wrote about it. However, I enjoyed it very much,hence the five stars. Tissues were required while reading his mother's letter to her sister after Leroy's passing.
My first inclination, and decidedly it is my own opinion is that Leroy was an extremely intelligent and widely read young man. One watches his intellectual growth the farther along one gets in his diary. That being said, I do not, for one minute believe that he was so totally unaware that something abnormal was going on with him. He had access to several papers which probably had ads in them. I have journaled in the past and was always careful to censor what I wrote due to nosey relatives. You never know who will read your diary. I say this because Leroy seems to have done this, because so many entries are impersonal. It's just possible it was always there in the back of his mind. This wasn't available in audio,so I kept footnote notes because they are situated to the end of each section of the diary. He was so consumed by chess; here, he could fight and win battles on a chessboard, and he was so very good at it.
I learned a great deal from Leroy's writings. He was talented, and he seemed to have a journalistic style. Here was a fascinating mind, but a guarded one. I realized also that as his disease progressed, he found more joy in all the little details about his home life. He seemed to appreciate the beauty of nature and dwelling on the weather is something any planter does. He writes of watching Howard plant seeds, but worried that the weather would have good or ill effects. He enjoyed the whole process from start to finish. The only time he gets really personal,is when he writes about the war which he tried to keep track of on a daily basis. As the diary goes on, some of his compassion for people and animals shines briefly. I was glued to this book, but I didn't think it lived up to the glowing foreward that Dr. Rasbach wrote about it. However, I enjoyed it very much,hence the five stars. Tissues were required while reading his mother's letter to her sister after Leroy's passing.
April 6, 2023
So tragic! So sad! Poor little LeRoy!
July 24, 2018
In the publisher's preface Theodore P. Savas writes, "Once we signed a contract with Jan, we distributed a press release announcing that Savas Beatie would be publishing the book the following year -- an admittedly aggressive schedule," and it certainly shows. The footnotes have a fairly significant number of typos -- including a sentence without an end, double numbered notes and both some typos and factual errors -- but, fortunately it doesn't detract from LeRoy's writings. LeRoy's writings are a MUST READ for any student of the American Civil War.
As to LeRoy, Loy to his family, I feel like he is now part of my family...and he will stay with me for a long while. What an intimate window into his life and the times around Civil War era Macon, Georgia. Unknowingly dying of spinal and pulmonary tuberculosis, Loy continues to be a beacon of light to his family, avidly interested in the news, progress of the war and all things chess. As the letter published at the end of the book from Mary Gresham (LeRoy's mother) to her sister Sarah "Sallie" Bird makes so poignantly clear, Loy was a rare, uncomplaining individual with a marked wisdom beyond his years. Even though his life was short, he was "very good, indeed."
As to LeRoy, Loy to his family, I feel like he is now part of my family...and he will stay with me for a long while. What an intimate window into his life and the times around Civil War era Macon, Georgia. Unknowingly dying of spinal and pulmonary tuberculosis, Loy continues to be a beacon of light to his family, avidly interested in the news, progress of the war and all things chess. As the letter published at the end of the book from Mary Gresham (LeRoy's mother) to her sister Sarah "Sallie" Bird makes so poignantly clear, Loy was a rare, uncomplaining individual with a marked wisdom beyond his years. Even though his life was short, he was "very good, indeed."
August 15, 2018
This book was probably the most boring book I’ve ever read. While civil war historians may enjoy it, the footnotes made it difficult to navigate and most were not needed. There is a copy of LeRoy’s journals in the Library of Congress along with a previous transcription of them that can be downloaded for free. Without all the footnotes.
To compare LeRoy, the son of a rich plantation owner, with Anne Frank is laughable in my opinion. Tuberculosis is a nasty disease, but LeRoy was cared for by his slaves until Lincoln freed them, and never had to do without. Anne was hidden away until she was captured, tortured in a concentration camp, and eventually murdered. To belittle the holocaust just isn’t right.
I wrote a review in Amazon similar to this one, and was harassed by both the editor, Croon, and publisher Ted Savas". They contacted me via Facebook Messenger, called me a liar, and insisted I edit or delete my review. Croon doesn’t even use her real name on Facebook, she goes by Augusta von Nassau . When I complained to Amazon they were no help and couldn’t tell me how these two even got my name as my review was anonymous.
To compare LeRoy, the son of a rich plantation owner, with Anne Frank is laughable in my opinion. Tuberculosis is a nasty disease, but LeRoy was cared for by his slaves until Lincoln freed them, and never had to do without. Anne was hidden away until she was captured, tortured in a concentration camp, and eventually murdered. To belittle the holocaust just isn’t right.
I wrote a review in Amazon similar to this one, and was harassed by both the editor, Croon, and publisher Ted Savas". They contacted me via Facebook Messenger, called me a liar, and insisted I edit or delete my review. Croon doesn’t even use her real name on Facebook, she goes by Augusta von Nassau . When I complained to Amazon they were no help and couldn’t tell me how these two even got my name as my review was anonymous.
September 23, 2020
Well worth the time, An enlightening Civil War and family narrative
This (originally) multi volume journal is an intimate view into the mind and home of an antebellum teen in Macon, Georgia, during the duration of the Civil War. Leroy Wiley Gresham was an unusually bright young man in a relatively well-to-do family in Macon. His father, John Gresham, was a lawyer-businessman and prominent influence in local politics and education.
Leroy, presumably named after a grand uncle whose plantation sat on the Flint River in northeast Alabama, was the obvious darling of The Gresham family. Affectionately precocious at times, he was remarkably well read for even an adult of the time. He was an avid chess aficionado, reading books and studying strategies frequently.
This is one of the most enjoyable reads of my lifetime, possibly because I took it at a slow pace, only pages at a time, while reading other things. Admittedly, non-fiction is a favorite genre and journaling is a hobby, but the quality of Leroy's writing, along with the editing skill of a highly interested editor, could have produced such an inspired volume. Highly recommended!
This (originally) multi volume journal is an intimate view into the mind and home of an antebellum teen in Macon, Georgia, during the duration of the Civil War. Leroy Wiley Gresham was an unusually bright young man in a relatively well-to-do family in Macon. His father, John Gresham, was a lawyer-businessman and prominent influence in local politics and education.
Leroy, presumably named after a grand uncle whose plantation sat on the Flint River in northeast Alabama, was the obvious darling of The Gresham family. Affectionately precocious at times, he was remarkably well read for even an adult of the time. He was an avid chess aficionado, reading books and studying strategies frequently.
This is one of the most enjoyable reads of my lifetime, possibly because I took it at a slow pace, only pages at a time, while reading other things. Admittedly, non-fiction is a favorite genre and journaling is a hobby, but the quality of Leroy's writing, along with the editing skill of a highly interested editor, could have produced such an inspired volume. Highly recommended!
September 3, 2020
I love all books that are in a diary format (fiction or nonfiction). This book took me longer to read than what I thought. I think this is more of a book for someone who enjoys lots of war details and can keep up with the many generals, soldiers, and battles that are listed and described.
Leroy’s chronic illness and health problems is really sad and it broke my heart to read about them. The extent of his medical problems made his final diary entries very moving and emotional. The most powerful thing in this book is the letter his mother wrote to her sister shortly after his death. This letter brought tears to my eyes and I could tell the pain and grief she was going through. I wish Leroy could have lived a longer life but I am glad he had a loving family that encouraged him and loved him more than anything.
Leroy’s chronic illness and health problems is really sad and it broke my heart to read about them. The extent of his medical problems made his final diary entries very moving and emotional. The most powerful thing in this book is the letter his mother wrote to her sister shortly after his death. This letter brought tears to my eyes and I could tell the pain and grief she was going through. I wish Leroy could have lived a longer life but I am glad he had a loving family that encouraged him and loved him more than anything.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2021
I wonder what LeRoy, would have thought to learn that 170 years later, people would read what he wrote in his journal? That though he was dying, a piece of who he was would live on? In that respect I found his story deeply touching.
A bit of a slow read, mostly because this is all journal entries and not structured in a way a story is structured. But I loved seeing a bit of everyday living in the south during the Civil War. It brought to the forefront that these are just ordinary people trying to live their lives surrounded by war and doing all they could to save their dying boy. LeRoy's perspectives of people in town and his thoughts on the war are interesting. And I felt so bad for this kid and how much pain he endured, yet still remained positive and optimistic that he would one day get better.
A bit of a slow read, mostly because this is all journal entries and not structured in a way a story is structured. But I loved seeing a bit of everyday living in the south during the Civil War. It brought to the forefront that these are just ordinary people trying to live their lives surrounded by war and doing all they could to save their dying boy. LeRoy's perspectives of people in town and his thoughts on the war are interesting. And I felt so bad for this kid and how much pain he endured, yet still remained positive and optimistic that he would one day get better.
May 30, 2023
What a book! The journal of a young man who watches the world change from his window. I found the book very interesting and took some time to read it. I would often go in search of further information after I read a passage. I am from Macon and the streets and family names are most recognizable. I also lived in Petersburg, VA for a while and toured the battlefields areas there. I could relate on the two main areas discussed. The letter of his mother at the end was so moving! LeRoy Gresham was wise beyond his years and if you are interested in Civil War history, this is a must read. A very open discussion of daily life.
The footnotes placed by the editor offered valuable clarification to the work. It made understanding of the people and places discussed easier to follow. It was a daunting task to edit this and compile the additional information. It was a job well done.
The footnotes placed by the editor offered valuable clarification to the work. It made understanding of the people and places discussed easier to follow. It was a daunting task to edit this and compile the additional information. It was a job well done.
July 30, 2018
Loved this book. Also listened to audiobook of Sarah Morgan’s diary. Now reading Mary Chestnut Civil War. Only problem I have now after reading these, especially this one, is that I am now thinking in very short, precise sentences. Glad I am living now, and not then. He ate robins, which were made sometimes into pies. Guess they were similar to Chicken Pot Pie! Each day he reported on the weather and on all the “fake” news of the day. Also looting and arson happening, when security levels are dropped. You can see parallels throughout history! Fascinating diary and so glad it was finally published. Of course, now cost to stay in his house in Macon will probably double! Thank you, Janet Croon. I know this was a monumental task to complete.
February 24, 2021
How lucky that this diary survived and was published. It gives as true a picture of how it was to live in Macon in the 1860s as anything we have in the world, short of a time machine. All the little details of family life: the foods the amusements, the books read, all add up to a vivid picture of a time long past which most of us today have no inkling of. Since the diary starts just before the war and ends shortly after, it plays out in real time, with Leroy reporting daily on what he read in the papers and hears, a fascinating perspective.
April 13, 2021
I got so caught up in this....it was so real, duh, it’s a diary, but written by a really smart well-read accomplished boy who was absorbed in his family’s life, in his his neighbors’ and friends lives, and in everything he could get his hands on about the Civil War as it got closer and closer to home. He was very much a person of his times, taking for granted that his family owned slaves, and that God was on the Confederates side. He was also very sick, and patiently put up with almost constant pain. I cried at the end.
August 15, 2018
Very personal account of the civil war
I liked this young man's account of day to day living during the war. I disliked how the footnotes appear lumped together and are awkward to go to and return back to the journal writings. I would prefer to see the footnotes appear immediately after the journal entries. I stopped reading the footnotes due to the awkwardness of going back and forth.
I liked this young man's account of day to day living during the war. I disliked how the footnotes appear lumped together and are awkward to go to and return back to the journal writings. I would prefer to see the footnotes appear immediately after the journal entries. I stopped reading the footnotes due to the awkwardness of going back and forth.
November 28, 2018
Tough read based on the sad and intense (and relatively short) life of this teenager who suffered from a rare form of tuberculosis, complicated by a leg, crushed in a childhood accident, and further complicated by severe bedsores, all happening during the Civil War. Over the five years of the war, and ultimately Leroy's death, his journals paint a compelling picture of his plight and the results of the war around him.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews