Inside the Army of the Potomac

Francis Adams Donaldson, full of idealistic enthusiasm in the early days of the Civil War, enlisted in the 71st Pennsylvania Regiment. After recovering from a wound incurred at Ball's Bluff, he quickly joined the 118th Pennsylvania. As the realities of campaigns, battles, and infighting among his fellow soldiers begin to press down on him, however, his letters and diary betray a growing disenchantment that leads to a startling climax. Donaldson's fiercely candid observations reveal much about the political life of the Army of the Potomac, and his letters contribute unforgettable descriptions of action at Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg.