Among the thousands of regimental histories, Civil War diaries, and Civil War letters, this volume stands out. The 13th New Hampshire Volunteer Regiment fought in some of the most important and memorable actions of the American Civil War, including Cold Harbor and the siege of Petersburg. But this is more than just another regimental history. Drawn from diaries, letters, and conversations with former comrades, Lieutenant Stephen Millett Thompson crafted one of the finest memoirs of the war. All of the horror, humor, and absurdity of war is captured here in sardonic true story that will appeal to anyone with an interest in the period. As Thompson writes, "...the Thirteenth, as well as the army as a whole, laughed far more than it wept, and will remember its enjoyments far beyond the fading of its woes." Yet the tears are here as well, as is the horror. There is something emotionally raw in this account that is captured superbly in Thompson's prose and in the writings of his regimental brethren.