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It is a double book with a diary and a collection of letters from Iowa men writing from Donelson and Shiloh. There are several letters from donelson after the battle and a great letter writen from Pittsburg Landing the night before the battle.
The book is called "Soldier Life - Many Must Fall", all first hand accounts with great footnotes. The best part though, which first caught my attention, is that it tells the first person story of the Shiloh POWs from the Hornets' Nest. You can't find that stuff in Sword and Daniels and Cunningham.
Here's a review from the CIVIL WAR BOOKS AND AUTHORS website:
http://cwba.blogspot.com/2009/03/thomas-and-wilson-soldier-lifemany-must.html
"Soldier Life—Many Must Fall: Two Civil War Narratives -- True Histories of the 14th Iowa Infantry in Camp and Combat, Told by the Wolf Creek Rangers of Tama County" by B. F. Thomas and Peter Wilson (The Camp Pope Bookshop*, 2008) 288 pages -- 8 3/4 x 11 1/3 -- Hardcover, illustrated dustjacket, maps, photographs, notes, index.
" This publication is essentially two books in one, together they shed personal light on the Civil War service of the 14th Iowa (Company G), which saw action in the western and Trans-Mississippi theaters. The writings of the two main authors, in conjunction with a variety of letters and accounts written by other Co. G mates, cover military events in Tennessee (Ft. Donelson, Shiloh), Mississippi (Oxford Raid), Louisiana (Pleasant Hill), and Missouri (Price Raid), as well as the experience of being a POW and paroled soldier.
Soldier Life, penned later in life by Benjamin Franklin Thomas (first published in 1907), is a reproduction of the author's Civil War diary, spiced with his reminiscences. The editors altered the text (e.x. corrected spelling, replaced abbreviated text, etc.) and added footnotes. The notes, mostly detailed biographical sketches of individuals mentioned in the text, are bundled together at the end of each section, but curiously not arranged in numbered citation format. They are of both research and genealogical value. A sampling of Thomas's poetry was also inserted.
Many Must Fall is the letter collection of Sgt. Peter Wilson (spanning 1861-1865, and previously published piecemeal by the Iowa Journal of History and Politics during the 1940s). The earlier annotation is preserved, with new commentary from the current editors. The Wilson letters (mostly addressed to immediate family) are supplemented with other letters, memoirs, and newspaper accounts written by members of his unit.
Between the narratives is a photo gallery and two maps. Soldier Life - Many Must Fall is a valuable compilation of primary source materials for Civil War researchers and genealogists.
The Traer Historical Museum Board (editors) and the Camp Pope Bookshop (publisher) deserve our thanks for bringing back into print the personal experiences of the "Wolf Creek Rangers" of Company G, 14th Iowa, all in a single, well produced volume. "
Available from:
The Traer Historical Museum
514 2nd St.
Traer, Iowa 50675
http://www.traermuseum.com
Last edited on Fri May 1st, 2009 04:41 pm by chrisfingle