“History and the World Never Know What the Soldier Alone Feels.”
Life on the Civil War Research Trail
•
15m
The emotions felt by a soldier going into combat, and his faith, are the theme of this letter written by 2nd Lt. Alfred Leroy Conklin of the 11th Ohio Infantry. A veteran of many Western Theater battles and campaigns, Conklin's words capture the war experience from the perspective of the front lines.
Up Next in Life on the Civil War Research Trail
-
Blood-Stained Scabbard
John Alfred Koltes, a German immigrant who had served in the Mexican War and later as a Marine, became colonel of the 73rd Pennsylvania Infantry in the Civil War. By all accounts a brave leader, he stepped up to lead a charge and paid with his life. Here's the story.
-
Chickamauga: “The Earth Trembled with...
What was it like to come within an inch of a musket ball in battle? Chaplain William W. Lyle of the 11th Ohio Infantry happened to be riding with the surgeon of his regiment in an area active with sharpshooters during the Battle of Chickamauga.
-
“The Blood-Stained Monster Must Die.”
Some of the most literate writers in the Civil War served as army chaplains, those men of faith who tended to flocks of soldier boys far away from home. One of them, William Wallace Lyle of the 11th Ohio Infantry, wrote a book about his experiences published in 1865. Here's a sample.
