". . . offers an unsurpassed chronicle of the war in the West." —Register of the Kentucky Historical Society "This eyewitness account brings a better understanding to a conflict that brought a nation to its knees." —Historical Media Review ". . . an exceptional Civil War narrative. It has value for the military and literary historian." —War, Literature, and the Arts The letters and diary of Major James Austin Connolly, 123rd Illinois Infantry, constitute an unsurpassed record of Civil War campaigning in the West. Connolly had a flair for narrative, an eye for people and places, and a smooth and facile style. His accounts offer a realistic picture of day-to-day soldiering in the Civil War—of rough, spare living in the field, of boredom and fun in camp, of seemingly aimless scouts, and of the high excitement of battle.