The Story of a Common Soldier of Army Life in the Civil War, 1861-1865

About this book

Leander Stillwell’s manuscript is a first‑person account of a Union infantryman’s service from enlistment in early 1862 through mustering out in September 1865. The work opens with a candid preface in which the seventy‑three‑year‑old author explains that he is writing at the request of his son, drawing on letters preserved by his mother and a small diary he kept during the war. He frames the narrative as “the story of a common soldier,” promising a chronological series of sketches that trace his regiment’s movements, from Camp Carrollton in Illinois, through battles such as Shiloh and Vicksburg, to the final furloughs and post‑war reflections. The detailed table of contents and the opening chapter already reveal a blend of personal recollection, local political context, and military detail, anchored in the author’s own records and the official history of the 61st Illinois Infantry.

The voice is that of an earnest, modest veteran who does not claim literary polish but offers a straightforward, earnest chronicle of his experiences. Written in the early twentieth‑century style of memoir, the prose reflects the language and sensibilities of a man recalling his youth with both humility and a touch of nostalgia. Readers who appreciate authentic Civil‑War perspectives, particularly those interested in the everyday life of enlisted men, the social dynamics of Midwestern recruitment, and the gritty realities of campaigns in the Western theater, will find Stillwell’s account both informative and engaging.