DOC Four Years in the First New York Light Artillery: The Papers of David F. Ritchie by David F. Ritchie; Norman L. Ritchie; V. Peter V. R. Mason; Nellie K. Edmonston in History

Review

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Army life cleanly worded: everyday work to artillary battlesBy David G. Ritchie (ritchie@cortland.edu)I'm biased: these reports were written by my great-grandfather; and edited by my great-uncle. That aside; what emerges from this book are well-worded images of a 21-year-old's leaving Utica; NY; for Washington and becoming part of the Army of the Potomac in 1861: marching and bivouacking; social events; provisioning; endless battle preparations; comments on society; the countryside; the mood of soldiers and civilians encountered; personal feelings. The battles in which Ritchie saw great action were those of Seven Pines (late May; 1862); Spotsylvania Court House and the North Anna (May; 1864); and Petersburg (March; 1865).To give an idea of Ritchie's writing; here is his description of meeting Abraham Lincoln at one of the President's Tuesday evening social events:I attended the last one and escaped unharmed... I held no conversation with any of the notables except Mr. Lincoln; the main portion of which I can recollect. A man who did not know my name introduced me to the President and he immediately extended his hand; seemed delighted to meet me and remarked with much concern; 'How do you do?' In my blandest tone I responded; 'Very well; thank you; sir' and was about to inquire after Mrs. Lincoln's health when we both dropped the subject and our conversation ceased. As I passed on I noticed that there were two or three hundred others behind me waiting to talk with Mr. Lincoln on the same subject.The book is an easy read; because it has been well edited from Ritchie's diary; letters written home; and from his reports sent to the Utica Herald; for which he was a correspondent. The book gives a human aspect to the huge machinery of making -- and making ready for -- war. I liked it.