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Recollections of a Private Soldier in the Army of the Potomac
Who beside the enlisted men can tell how the fierce Confederates looked and fought behind their earthworks and in the open; how the heroic soldiers of the impoverished South were clothed, armed, and fed?
The memoirs of Grant, Lee, Hood, Gordon, Johnston, and other civil war generals are some of our most common sources that we look at when learning about this tumultuous conflict.
But what about the voices of the common soldier?
Frank Wilkeson, when he wrote his account of the civil war, aimed to rectify this and reassert the importance of looking at the accounts of the men who carried the muskets, served the guns, and rode their saddles into the heat of battle.
As he states in his preface, “The epauleted history has been largely inspired by vanity or jealousy, saving and excepting forever the immortal record”.
Wilkeson and his fellow comrades who lived on the frontlines of the conflict had no need to rescue their reputations or assert their actions and thus their accounts provide a brilliant and unbiased alternative view of this bloody war.
After lying about his age Frank Wilkeson was just sixteen when he joined the Union Army in 1864.
Through the course of the next year he saw some of the ferocious battles of Grant’s Overland Campaign.
Recollections of a Private Soldier in the Army of the Potomac is a wonderfully refreshing account of the American Civil War that takes the reader to the heart of what it would have been like to have served in the front ranks.
“Wilkeson’s words have a robustness that remind us that colorful writing was in the American air, and contemporaries like Mark Twain didn’t come out of the blue (or the gray).” Robert Cowley, HistoryNet
“deeply portrays the experience of the ordinary soldier on campaign and in battle.” Civil War Talk
“[The memoir is] unlike most others by Civil War Veterans who tended to romanticize and sometimes glorify the experiences they went through . . . . His emphasis on the seamy, unheroic, horrific side of war is a healthy corrective to romanticism." James McPherson
Frank Wilkeson was an American journalist, soldier, farmer and explorer. His memoir Recollections of a Private Soldier in the Army of the Potomac was first published in 1887 and he passed away in 1913.
The memoirs of Grant, Lee, Hood, Gordon, Johnston, and other civil war generals are some of our most common sources that we look at when learning about this tumultuous conflict.
But what about the voices of the common soldier?
Frank Wilkeson, when he wrote his account of the civil war, aimed to rectify this and reassert the importance of looking at the accounts of the men who carried the muskets, served the guns, and rode their saddles into the heat of battle.
As he states in his preface, “The epauleted history has been largely inspired by vanity or jealousy, saving and excepting forever the immortal record”.
Wilkeson and his fellow comrades who lived on the frontlines of the conflict had no need to rescue their reputations or assert their actions and thus their accounts provide a brilliant and unbiased alternative view of this bloody war.
After lying about his age Frank Wilkeson was just sixteen when he joined the Union Army in 1864.
Through the course of the next year he saw some of the ferocious battles of Grant’s Overland Campaign.
Recollections of a Private Soldier in the Army of the Potomac is a wonderfully refreshing account of the American Civil War that takes the reader to the heart of what it would have been like to have served in the front ranks.
“Wilkeson’s words have a robustness that remind us that colorful writing was in the American air, and contemporaries like Mark Twain didn’t come out of the blue (or the gray).” Robert Cowley, HistoryNet
“deeply portrays the experience of the ordinary soldier on campaign and in battle.” Civil War Talk
“[The memoir is] unlike most others by Civil War Veterans who tended to romanticize and sometimes glorify the experiences they went through . . . . His emphasis on the seamy, unheroic, horrific side of war is a healthy corrective to romanticism." James McPherson
Frank Wilkeson was an American journalist, soldier, farmer and explorer. His memoir Recollections of a Private Soldier in the Army of the Potomac was first published in 1887 and he passed away in 1913.
123 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1896
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
January 28, 2019
I realize that this book was formed of a man's memories and impressions of a war, a war he volunteered for at a very young age, but there is just something about it that strikes me as strange. Perhaps it is the almost-perfect use of language and spelling that leads the reader to be believe that it had to be highly edited. True, he did become a writer and came from a wealthy, and probaby educated family, however, the first version was written in 1887, and was later revised to add several chapters.
Basically, the book is a paean to the enlisted man of the Army of the Potomac whether it be with regards to the artillery or the infantry. Wilkeson was with the light artillery, but at the Wilderness he took up a rifle and fought on the line because he wanted to see what it was all about since the artillery was not being used. He saw plenty before he made his way back to where he belonged. He also fought at Spotsyvania, the North Anna, Cold Harbor and Petersburg.
Along the way he complained about almost everything, but especially about those in command, about bounty jumpers, and any soldier who was not 'American' or Irish. He relates several conversations showing that the enlisted men 'understood' why certain tactics were wrong, even if the officers didn't. Ironically, he seems to admire Grant despite the fact it was Grant who commanded during the Overland Campaign.
Unfortunately, he also relies on hearsay for much of his criticism. He was told or he understood such-and-such happened. Since most of his fighting took place in 1864, Wilkeson derides the fighting ability of many who were forced to fight. He has a point, but the manpower drainage and high casualty figures certainly played their parts.
He does seem to respect the enlisted men of the Army of Northern Virginia, who would fight despite a lack of food and clothing; almost as if to say, "They can do it, why can't we?"
This book does offer an interesting look at what it meant to fight in that terrible war, however, it also raises questions about what that meaning was.
Basically, the book is a paean to the enlisted man of the Army of the Potomac whether it be with regards to the artillery or the infantry. Wilkeson was with the light artillery, but at the Wilderness he took up a rifle and fought on the line because he wanted to see what it was all about since the artillery was not being used. He saw plenty before he made his way back to where he belonged. He also fought at Spotsyvania, the North Anna, Cold Harbor and Petersburg.
Along the way he complained about almost everything, but especially about those in command, about bounty jumpers, and any soldier who was not 'American' or Irish. He relates several conversations showing that the enlisted men 'understood' why certain tactics were wrong, even if the officers didn't. Ironically, he seems to admire Grant despite the fact it was Grant who commanded during the Overland Campaign.
Unfortunately, he also relies on hearsay for much of his criticism. He was told or he understood such-and-such happened. Since most of his fighting took place in 1864, Wilkeson derides the fighting ability of many who were forced to fight. He has a point, but the manpower drainage and high casualty figures certainly played their parts.
He does seem to respect the enlisted men of the Army of Northern Virginia, who would fight despite a lack of food and clothing; almost as if to say, "They can do it, why can't we?"
This book does offer an interesting look at what it meant to fight in that terrible war, however, it also raises questions about what that meaning was.
October 1, 2019
Living History
A first rate diary of one who was there. Mr. Wilkeson's recollections of his service in the Union army provide a window to the past, a past that was fraught with the horrors of brother versus brother and family versus family. It is sometimes hard to believe that the Union Army won the Civil War with the complete mismanagement of its generals as described by Mr. Wilkerson. And I had never heard before an account and description of how close Washington DC came to being taken by the Confederate Army in 1864. An eyewitness accounting of a shameful time in United States history.
A first rate diary of one who was there. Mr. Wilkeson's recollections of his service in the Union army provide a window to the past, a past that was fraught with the horrors of brother versus brother and family versus family. It is sometimes hard to believe that the Union Army won the Civil War with the complete mismanagement of its generals as described by Mr. Wilkerson. And I had never heard before an account and description of how close Washington DC came to being taken by the Confederate Army in 1864. An eyewitness accounting of a shameful time in United States history.
March 21, 2021
A very gripping read, but I had a few doubts about the veracity of the account as I read it, and historian William Marvel has stated that Wilkeson's battery was 10 miles away during the Battle of the Wilderness, which makes it unlikely Wilkeson was in it. I would have rated it higher if Wilkeson had been completely truthful.
Available from the Internet Archive:
https://archive.org/details/02530520....
Available from the Internet Archive:
https://archive.org/details/02530520....
December 24, 2019
War is hell
This was a first hand account of a soldier through the many battles he fought in. War back then was messy and violent. You can really tell that by how descriptive some things were.
This was a first hand account of a soldier through the many battles he fought in. War back then was messy and violent. You can really tell that by how descriptive some things were.
December 1, 2019
The author was a veteran of the Army of the Potomac during the latter part of the war and wrote this memoir as a no holds barred testimony to his experiences as a private in that famous army. He enlisted out of pride and patriotism refusing any offered bounty, but was immediately placed into a regiment of bounty men and treated as one, with great suspicion and scorn. Furthermore, after finally arriving at the front, his experiences were not at all what he expected. He may have been influenced by his interactions with numerous bounty jumpers, but he was scornful of many of his comrades and certainly of his leadership, General Grant on down. The only leader of this army he states was ever admired by this army was McClellan, though he realized that general was lacking in military skills. He even stated that if The Army of the Potomac at the start of the war, when filled with volunteers, was the best there was, and if Grant had been in charge of it then, the war would have been over in 1862 with a Union victory. And if McClellan had been in charge of the Army of the Potomac as it existed in the latter part of 1864, it also would have been over in that year, with a Confederate victory. He still did not like Grant for his numerous assaults of entrenched Confederates.
His greatest disdain, however, was reserved for a group of his own men whom he referred to as "coffee boilers," those who fell out of the ranks as battle approached and hid in the tree lines awaiting the end of the battle before rejoining the ranks.
I really liked this book because of his frank evaluation of his own experiences and his honest description of that magnificent Army that fought so bravely to end the war. It also made me reevaluate the composition of that army and the extent that bounty jumpers had on the morale of the army as a whole. It's like the Army of the Potomac was two entirely different creatures, and Grant commanded by far the worst of the two. Imagine what he could have done with the better of the two.
His greatest disdain, however, was reserved for a group of his own men whom he referred to as "coffee boilers," those who fell out of the ranks as battle approached and hid in the tree lines awaiting the end of the battle before rejoining the ranks.
I really liked this book because of his frank evaluation of his own experiences and his honest description of that magnificent Army that fought so bravely to end the war. It also made me reevaluate the composition of that army and the extent that bounty jumpers had on the morale of the army as a whole. It's like the Army of the Potomac was two entirely different creatures, and Grant commanded by far the worst of the two. Imagine what he could have done with the better of the two.
May 17, 2019
I would like to be able to give this 3.5 stars, as it is a bit above what I typically rate as three starts. As an artilleryman in Grant's army with a natural inclination to being a proto-gonzo journalist, Wilkeson reports directly from the ground his observations and complaints. He leaves his post to fight as an ad hoc infantry man in the Battle of the Wilderness and also reports on Spotsylvania and later Early's close approach to the bealeagured Washington, D.C. Highly critical of how the war was conducted by corrupt politicians and incompetent officers,Wilkeson served on staff briefly in the capital and helped keep the lid on the overboiling kettle of Elmira prisoner of war camp leading to a frank assessment of conditions for POWs on both sides. Wilkeson also reports graphically on the natural indignity of death on the 1860s battlefield, "coffee boilers" in the rear, the bounty system and other military and morale issues of the day.
October 4, 2018
A different perspective
I have read countless books on the Civil War from both the experiences of the North and South! I have never before read anything from the point of view of the lowly private soldier! I was surprised at the attitude of the enlisted toward their officers including General Grant! Of course I was well aware of the general incompetence of the officers in the Union Army and the exact opposite attitude by Confederate troops toward their officers and especially General Lee! I had thought General Grant was at least we'll respected although he was not above sacrificing his men to keep the pressure on Lee! Much of interest comes out in this book although one thing about the narrator bothers me! He was a volunteer but he was immediately sent to a holding area for criminals and ruffians guilty of accepting enlistment bonuses and repeatedly deserting only to accept more bonuses!. It is never explained how he was lumped in with these men and causes me to doubt some aspects of his story! Otherwise well worth reading!
I have read countless books on the Civil War from both the experiences of the North and South! I have never before read anything from the point of view of the lowly private soldier! I was surprised at the attitude of the enlisted toward their officers including General Grant! Of course I was well aware of the general incompetence of the officers in the Union Army and the exact opposite attitude by Confederate troops toward their officers and especially General Lee! I had thought General Grant was at least we'll respected although he was not above sacrificing his men to keep the pressure on Lee! Much of interest comes out in this book although one thing about the narrator bothers me! He was a volunteer but he was immediately sent to a holding area for criminals and ruffians guilty of accepting enlistment bonuses and repeatedly deserting only to accept more bonuses!. It is never explained how he was lumped in with these men and causes me to doubt some aspects of his story! Otherwise well worth reading!
November 16, 2021
This makes the second memoir of the Civil War by a private which I have read. The first was “Company Aytch,” by Sam Watkins, a private in the Confederate Army of Tennessee. Both men questioned the competence of their general officers, but Watkins was charitable toward the Confederate bunglers whereas Wilkeson was bitter toward the Union bunglers. Watkins wrote of the hardships of the Confederate soldiers in a breezy, joking manner. Wilkeson wrote of the hardships of the Union soldiers in stark, glum language. He spent an entire chapter describing the deaths of his comrades, and it is quite a depressing read. Both men seemed to admire and respect the courage and fighting spirit of the soldiers on the other side, and they chronicle a few instances of comradely exchanges between the foemen. They tell much the same story of the lives and deaths of the men who served as cannon fodder in that terrible conflict, but Wilkeson stresses the negatives. Watkins, while not minimizing the hardships, paints a less gloomy picture. Both books are well worth reading.
December 28, 2023
A memoir that was written by a Union soldier who served in the Army of the Potomac during the Overland and Petersburg Campaigns. Wilkeson provides an interesting perspective from a private. His views are quite interesting. For example, he disliked Confederate and Union sharpshooters because he saw them as cowards because they shot people in the back. He was critical of those who ran the war as well. I enjoyed this book because you get the view of the war from a private. Wars tend to focus on the generals, which makes sense since they call the shots. However, the common soldiers' opinions are always, I think, the most interesting. Highly recommend.
July 14, 2024
It tells the story of what it was like to fight in the Union Army in the Artillery during the Civil War.
The author admittedly, gripes a lot, about almost everything, from living conditions, food, his fellow soldiers, and especially the officers.
Oddly enough he admires the Confederate General Officers for serving on the front often. He implies that because the Confederates lost so many General Officers in the battle lines, they were braver or cared more about the men under them, than Union counterparts. This in spite of the fact that the loss of so many Confederate General Officers crippled Lee’s Army leadership at a time when he could have used them most. Had Grant, McClellan, Sherman and others put themselves in the thick of battle, the Union may well have lost the War.
Also, there is no way a low ranking artillery man, could have been able to see the big picture of the War like he claims to have known from hearsay, and speculation.
I enjoyed the book “Hardtack and Coffee” by another former Union Artilleryman John D. Billings, because he stuck with what he knew and saw firsthand, and left the second guessing the Generals to historians who did a lot of research, during and after the war.
I get it though. I served in Vietnam in combat, I came home with more questions than answers about the War, and my service in it. It took a lot of reading, research, and prayer to make sense of it, and to put the demons of it to rest!
Memories of war stir up strong emotions, which may or may not be justified. It is not an easy thing to write about.
Frank was angry a lot during his war, and he was still angry when he wrote his memories about it in this book. I get that too.
This book goes on the shelf Hardtack and Coffee, and with CO. AYTCH written by Sam Watkins, a Confederate Infantryman. Of the three books I like CO. AYTCH best just because Sam managed to keep his keen sense of humor through it all, and he came to peace with his demons, perhaps in the writing of it.
If you are a Civil War junkie, you’ll likely like all three of these books.
The author admittedly, gripes a lot, about almost everything, from living conditions, food, his fellow soldiers, and especially the officers.
Oddly enough he admires the Confederate General Officers for serving on the front often. He implies that because the Confederates lost so many General Officers in the battle lines, they were braver or cared more about the men under them, than Union counterparts. This in spite of the fact that the loss of so many Confederate General Officers crippled Lee’s Army leadership at a time when he could have used them most. Had Grant, McClellan, Sherman and others put themselves in the thick of battle, the Union may well have lost the War.
Also, there is no way a low ranking artillery man, could have been able to see the big picture of the War like he claims to have known from hearsay, and speculation.
I enjoyed the book “Hardtack and Coffee” by another former Union Artilleryman John D. Billings, because he stuck with what he knew and saw firsthand, and left the second guessing the Generals to historians who did a lot of research, during and after the war.
I get it though. I served in Vietnam in combat, I came home with more questions than answers about the War, and my service in it. It took a lot of reading, research, and prayer to make sense of it, and to put the demons of it to rest!
Memories of war stir up strong emotions, which may or may not be justified. It is not an easy thing to write about.
Frank was angry a lot during his war, and he was still angry when he wrote his memories about it in this book. I get that too.
This book goes on the shelf Hardtack and Coffee, and with CO. AYTCH written by Sam Watkins, a Confederate Infantryman. Of the three books I like CO. AYTCH best just because Sam managed to keep his keen sense of humor through it all, and he came to peace with his demons, perhaps in the writing of it.
If you are a Civil War junkie, you’ll likely like all three of these books.
October 7, 2018
Unique perspective
Thought-provoking narrative by a young Northern volunteer at a time when most recruits were joining for the bounty. The author does not dilute or temper his tale with filters of political correctness or modesty, and is passionate in the judgment of his contemporaries.
Thought-provoking narrative by a young Northern volunteer at a time when most recruits were joining for the bounty. The author does not dilute or temper his tale with filters of political correctness or modesty, and is passionate in the judgment of his contemporaries.
October 20, 2018
Great read.
I found the author to be quite a story teller on his experiences in the Army of the Potomac. The way he was able to adapt to dangerous , with courage and intelligence was remarkable. Frank Wilkerson was a great patriot and a man to be respected and admired. Anybody interested in the Civil War will find this book hard to put down.
I found the author to be quite a story teller on his experiences in the Army of the Potomac. The way he was able to adapt to dangerous , with courage and intelligence was remarkable. Frank Wilkerson was a great patriot and a man to be respected and admired. Anybody interested in the Civil War will find this book hard to put down.
July 5, 2019
An enlisted man’s perspective
A short but very readable memoir by a Union artillery soldier during the later portion of the Civil War. The book covers his enlistment, life in winter quarters and battles which he was in. Gives an honest and unique perspective of the war. If you are interested in Civil War history, this is well worthwhile.
A short but very readable memoir by a Union artillery soldier during the later portion of the Civil War. The book covers his enlistment, life in winter quarters and battles which he was in. Gives an honest and unique perspective of the war. If you are interested in Civil War history, this is well worthwhile.
July 10, 2020
Superb memoir of a Union artilleryman
The author has an excellent narrative of life in the Union Army, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses. His thoughtful descriptions of both union and confederate actions between the Wilderness and Cold Harbor are superbly described. A must read for those interested in the life of soldiers.
The author has an excellent narrative of life in the Union Army, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses. His thoughtful descriptions of both union and confederate actions between the Wilderness and Cold Harbor are superbly described. A must read for those interested in the life of soldiers.
Read
July 27, 2020Really enjoyed this book. The author was a talented writer as well as a heroic soldier. There was a surprise or two at the end. Usually these Civil War biographies the writer focuses on things that are boring, but Mr. Wilkeson keeps it personal and entertaining throughout. I would have liked to have met him.
January 1, 2022
Despite all of the bad done by the Union Army, Lincoln, and so forth, this is a collection of genuine recollections, thoughts, feelings, and details about the American Civil War from a low ranking Union Soldier. It was captivating hearing how he looked at people; how he saw good and bad in different people.
February 9, 2022
I have read a lot of books about the civil war, including other personal narratives, but this one is different. He really gets into what it was like from a soldier's perspective and does not hold back. He was right in the heat of the action and he graphically details the carnage leaving little to the imagination. Definitely worth reading.
September 30, 2018
Well written focused on this view.
Well written. Many personal accounts of war, though interesting are not always well written. This individual was a good writer as well as having interesting POV.
Well written. Many personal accounts of war, though interesting are not always well written. This individual was a good writer as well as having interesting POV.
October 9, 2018
Very good book about a soldiers life
This is a good account of a private life in the army of the Potomac. Grant apparently took command just in time to stave off a mutiny in the army..
This is a good account of a private life in the army of the Potomac. Grant apparently took command just in time to stave off a mutiny in the army..
April 21, 2022
An account of the war of Northern aggression by a former Union soldier. He expresses respect for the abilities of Southern soldiers and a contempt for slackers in the ranks as well as the hostility civilians express towards those who protect them.
September 24, 2018
Excellant book written by a enlisted mans perspective.
Very informative.
Very informative.
October 17, 2018
A view from the bottom
A very interesting commentary by an observant and intelligent soldier. It clearly avoids the self serving biographies that are common.
A very interesting commentary by an observant and intelligent soldier. It clearly avoids the self serving biographies that are common.
October 27, 2018
An honest appraisal
This book was interesting and revealed that there was nothing romantic or glorious about the civil war! Author wrote from experience.
This book was interesting and revealed that there was nothing romantic or glorious about the civil war! Author wrote from experience.
January 27, 2019
An interesting read.
Those of you interested in good civil war history will find this much different than the usual. An easy read and not too long.
Those of you interested in good civil war history will find this much different than the usual. An easy read and not too long.
May 30, 2019
Love the honesty and saltiness of this memoir!
August 3, 2019
War is grim. Incredible how anyone made it alive out of the Civil War.
October 9, 2019
The way it really was!
As an avid Civil War buff I found this book very enlightening. It described many aspects of the war that were previously unknown to me. Highly recommend.
As an avid Civil War buff I found this book very enlightening. It described many aspects of the war that were previously unknown to me. Highly recommend.
March 17, 2020
Excellent
Excellent
Would recommend this as an insight to the everyday soldier life and this is I f interest to the harder life of this war
Excellent
Would recommend this as an insight to the everyday soldier life and this is I f interest to the harder life of this war
August 23, 2014
Some few writers possess the honesty and ability to speak to us across centuries. Frank Wilkeson is among the best of these. His first person accounts of a soldier’s daily life and of several of the most intensely violent battles in history rip us from our chairs and stand us next to his shoulder beneath drifting powder smoke. It is essential reading not only for students of our Civil War but for all Americans. I recommend Turned Inside Out most highly.
December 14, 2013
3.5 Stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews