Recollections of a Private Soldier in the Army of the Potomac
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Narrated by:
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Paul Heitsch
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By:
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Frank Wilkeson
About this listen
Who beside the enlisted men can tell how the fierce Confederates looked and fought behind their earthworks and in the open; how the heroic soldiers of the impoverished South were clothed, armed, and fed?
The memoirs of Grant, Lee, Hood, Gordon, Johnston, and other Civil War generals are some of our most common sources that we look at when learning about this tumultuous conflict.
But what about the voices of the common soldier?
Frank Wilkeson, when he wrote his account of the Civil War, aimed to rectify this and reassert the importance of looking at the accounts of the men who carried the muskets, served the guns, and rode their saddles into the heat of battle.
As he states in his preface, "The epauleted history has been largely inspired by vanity or jealousy, saving and excepting forever the immortal record."
Wilkeson and his fellow comrades who lived on the frontlines of the conflict had no need to rescue their reputations or assert their actions and thus their accounts provide a brilliant and unbiased alternative view of this bloody war.
After lying about his age Frank Wilkeson was just 16 when he joined the Union Army in 1864.
Through the course of the next year he saw some of the ferocious battles of Grant's Overland Campaign.
Recollections of a Private Soldier in the Army of the Potomac is a wonderfully refreshing account of the American Civil War that takes listeners to the heart of what it would have been like to have served in the front ranks.
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Story
All for the Union is the astonishing and eloquent diary of Elisha Hunt Rhodes, the Union soldier featured in Ken Burns' highly acclaimed PBS television documentary The Civil War. Enlisting as a private in the 2nd Rhode Island Infantry, Rhodes fought in every major campaign waged by the Army of the Potomac, from Bull Run to Appomattox. Here, in his own powerfully moving words, Rhodes reveals why he was willing to die to preserve his beloved Union.
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Captivating Narrative
- By Nathan on 07-13-17
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Four Years in the Stonewall Brigade
- By: John O. Casler
- Narrated by: Brian Holsopple
- Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Every memoir of the American Civil War provides us with another view of the catastrophe that changed the country forever. But this is one of the clearest and most informative ever put into audio. As a commander in Stonewall Jackson's brigade, John Casler experienced all the horrors and comedy of the American Civil War. His time was not so different from his countrymen on the other side, with the exception of point of view.
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The Common Soldier's Story
- By Dennis on 10-13-17
By: John O. Casler
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Shiloh, 1862
- By: Winston Groom
- Narrated by: Eric G. Dove
- Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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SHILOH, 1862 - The Battle of Shiloh, fought in the wilderness of southern Tennessee in April 1862, marked a violent crossroads in the Civil War. What began as a surprise attack by Confederate troops on a Union stronghold to gain control of the Mississippi River Valley became a bloody two-day conflict that would eerily foretell the brutal reality of the next three years.
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Absorbing story of the hell of Shiloh
- By 9S on 02-04-13
By: Winston Groom
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Hard Tack and Coffee
- By: John D. Billings
- Narrated by: Jim Roberts
- Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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First published more than 100 years ago, Hard Tack and Coffee is John Billings' absorbing account of the everyday life of a US Army soldier during the Civil War. It is written by a person who would know the material best, a genuine Civil War soldier.
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Good, dry information
- By Rob on 11-26-07
By: John D. Billings
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Gettysburg: The Last Invasion
- By: Allen C. Guelzo
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 22 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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From the acclaimed Civil War historian, a brilliant new history–the most intimate and richly readable account we have had–of the climactic three-day battle of Gettysburg (July 1–3, 1863), which draws the reader into the heat, smoke, and grime of Gettysburg alongside the ordinary soldier, and depicts the combination of personalities and circumstances that produced the greatest battle of the Civil War, and one of the greatest in human history.
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A Fresh Look at a Famous Battle
- By W. F. Rucker on 07-03-13
By: Allen C. Guelzo
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Gettysburg
- An Alternate History
- By: Peter G. Tsouras
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 15 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Everyone with an interest in America's greatest battle comes up against its controversies. What if J. E. B. Stuart had arrived on the battlefield before the second day? What if Ewell had pressed hard on the heels of the Union rout on the first day? What if Pickett's charge had been stronger and better led? What if the Army of the Potomac had been commanded by a more aggressive counter attacker than Meade?
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Wonderful But Confusing
- By Bart on 05-30-20
By: Peter G. Tsouras
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Bloody Spring
- Forty Days That Sealed the Confederacy's Fate
- By: Joseph Wheelan
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 14 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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In the spring of 1864, Robert E. Lee faced a new adversary: Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant. Named commander of all Union armies in March, Grant quickly went on the offensive against Lee in Virginia. On May 4th, Grant's army struck hard across the Rapidan River into north central Virginia, with Lee's army contesting every mile. They fought for 40 days until, finally, the Union army crossed the James River and began the siege of Petersburg. The campaign cost 90,000 men - the largest loss the war had seen.
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Skip this! Get Catton's Stillness at Appomattox
- By BVerité on 10-19-14
By: Joseph Wheelan
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The Confederacy's Last Hurrah
- Spring Hill, Franklin, and Nashville
- By: Wiley Sword
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 22 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Though he barely escaped expulsion from West Point, John Bell Hood quickly rose through the ranks of the Confederate army. With bold leadership in the battles of Gaines' Mill and Antietam, Hood won favor with Confederate president Jefferson Davis. But his fortunes in war took a tragic turn when he assumed command of the Confederate Army of Tennessee. After the fall of Atlanta, Hood marched his troops north in an attempt to draw Union army general William T. Sherman from his devastating "March to the Sea." But the ploy proved ruinous for the South.
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Oh dear, pronunciation again
- By Charles on 08-07-20
By: Wiley Sword
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They Called Him Stonewall
- A Life of Lieutenant General T. J. Jackson, C.S.A.
- By: Burke Davis
- Narrated by: Christopher Hurt
- Length: 14 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Stonewall Jackson was a military genius, at once peculiar and perfect, a fearless soldier in battle but a God-fearing man who hesitated to kill on Sunday. He broke the rules of war to win, and yet his tactics are studied in military academies the world over. From the remarkable Valley Campaign through the Seven Days, Manassas, Antietam, Fredericksburg, and the masterful though tragic sweep at Chancellorsville, where Jackson was felled by one of his own soldiers, this is a compelling narrative of men and war.
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They Calle Him Stonewall
- By Jim on 10-04-06
By: Burke Davis
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The Boer War
- By: Winston Churchill
- Narrated by: Ric Jerrom
- Length: 18 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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As a young, ambitious soldier, Winston Churchill managed to get himself posted to the 21st Lancers in 1899 as a war correspondent for the Morning Post - and joined them in fighting the rebel Boer settlers in South Africa. In this conflict, rebel forces in the Transvaal and Orange Free State had proclaimed their own statehood, calling it the Boer Republic.
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Lots of fun for war enthusiats.
- By David on 08-11-16
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The Greatest Fury
- The Battle of New Orleans and the Rebirth of America
- By: William C. Davis
- Narrated by: David H. Lawrence XVII
- Length: 18 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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From master historian William C. Davis, the definitive story of the Battle of New Orleans, the fight that decided the ultimate fate not only of the War of 1812 but the future course of the fledgling American republic. It was a battle that could not be won. Outnumbered farmers, merchants, backwoodsmen, smugglers, slaves, and Choctaw Indians, many of them unarmed, were up against the cream of the British army, professional soldiers who had defeated the great Napoleon and set Washington, DC, ablaze.
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Mispronounced names and locations
- By Anonymous User on 06-02-22
By: William C. Davis
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Civil War Ghost Stories & Legends
- By: Nancy Roberts
- Narrated by: Susan Larkin, Allan Edwards
- Length: 5 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Few events have sparked more legends and stories of the supernatural than America's Civil War. The accounts of gallantry and heroism have spread far and wide. Nancy Roberts grew up listening to her father's stories of the War Between the States, and she trekked over many battle sites with him during her childhood. After reading about General Joshua Chamberlain's supernatural experience at the Battle of Gettysburg, Roberts began to collect tales of the blue and gray and write them down.
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Not just your typical "ghost" story
- By R Neustel on 09-19-16
By: Nancy Roberts
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Shiloh
- A Novel
- By: Shelby Foote
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 4 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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This fictional recreation of the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862 is a stunning work of imaginative history, from Shelby Foote, beloved historian of the Civil War. Shiloh conveys not only the bloody choreography of Union and Confederate troops through the woods near Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee, but the inner movements of the combatants' hearts and minds.
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Great so detailed
- By chris calabrese on 05-06-19
By: Shelby Foote
What listeners say about Recollections of a Private Soldier in the Army of the Potomac
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Bookworm
- 01-05-21
Great Story
This was an interesting story from start to finish. Wilkeson’s insights are unique—things you don’t hear from dry Civil War history books that focus on the general officers. I also liked that he offered insights into topics that I had not read much about, Union prisoner of war prisons and how the Union handled bounty jumper.
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- Samantha P Sturgill
- 02-04-23
Fair account of first-hand experience of war.
I loved the performance of the narrator, his voice did well conveying especially emotional points of the story. The writings itself I believe are a solid glimpse into the author's experience of the war, touching on a couple important battles and containing some often overlooked details by other authors on the Civil War. That said, I often felt jostled by how the author occasionally jumped to a new setting without bridging us from the previous experience, it felt there were some gaps. Of course real life recollections can be very much like this and taking everything into consideration, it was a good recounting of his experience and I consider these stories a national treasure and I do recommend the listen.
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- John
- 04-09-21
Best history is from actual soldiers
Very interesting most of the information in this book you won’t find in history books written by a modern day professors.
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- Abdul Zarawal
- 01-23-23
that's not how they taught it in high Is school!
A fascinating, unvarnished look at the Civil War through the eyes of the common soldier rather than the generals and politicians we usually read from. Certainly not the way I learned it in high school! Excellent read!
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- Timothy & Anne Hanifen
- 06-11-21
A True Account of Union Enlisted Experiences 1863-1865
Thoroughly enjoyed this recollection of experience by a Union volunteer who joined in late 1863 and served as an artilleryman and later artillery officer. His matter of fact descriptions of Army of the Potomac life and battles as an artilleryman and as a rifleman on the battle line were educational and without glorification. The narration voice was a steady drumbeat of matter of fact’ness that conveyed this 1880’s author’s purpose and intent.
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- Jason
- 06-16-22
Very well done!
A truly amazing story of a young soldier serving in blue. It’s short, but highly detailed. Narration was excellent.
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- Tom the Tinker
- 07-12-21
A sobering revelation of cannon-fodder soldiering
This survivor relates a long series of degrading and harrowing experiences which reveal more than the best historian ever will. It is masterfully written: Private Wilkerson says very much, very quickly—and then stops. It is an enlightening Civil War gem.
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- Ryan
- 12-28-20
Some things never change.
A great read for any combat veteran to hear that certain things the exemplifies the soldiers life. The accuracy of the lower enlisted intel network, the hurry up and wait game.
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- Jimmy K
- 10-07-21
Excellent
This is one of the most authentic books that I have ever read of the Civil War. First hand up close and personal. No political correctness, just the raw unvarnished truth.
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- Tom
- 06-22-21
An awesome inside view of a Civil War Soldier
I do not leave many reviews, This being said I had to leave this one. This is a relatively short book but is absolutely fascinating. The author is a soldier in the Civil War, a private but it is clear that he has a good education but he does not get caught up in that. He tells a side of the Civil War from a regular soldiers standpoint that I have never read before in all of the books on the subject that I have read. For example he goes into great details about the two-tiered army, one part volunteers that could be counted on and the other "bounty jumpers" who were obvious and could not be counted on. He also discussed Petersburg in 1864 and how it was obvious from the common soldiers standpoint that if the Union attacked when they got there they could have taken Petersburg. Its not just a soldier bitching, he explains in detail how the common soldier could tell the quality and quantity of the men that they were facing. I highly recommend this book.
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