The Civil War Diaries of Charles Kelly: The 44th New York Infantry in the War of the Rebellion
edited by Don Owen
BTC’s Take: Although the diary entries of Charles Kelly waned a bit by the time of the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign occurred and he mustered out in October 1864, this is still a fairly meaty book. Kelly was an officer in the 44th New York, a regiment in the 3rd Brigade, First Division, V Corps, Army of the Potomac during the Siege of Petersburg. He fought at Fredericksburg and Gettysburg, among others, and was wounded twice during the war. Editor Don Owen did not place the entire diary in the book, choosing instead to use excerpts and fill in with meaty explanatory text around them. More to come after I’ve had a chance to read this one.
Book Summary/Review:
BTC Siege of Petersburg Book Notes:
BTC Siege of Petersburg Book Sources:
Author/Editor Introduction:
Charles Kelly was the great-grandfather of my wife Gael. Charles left behind five volumes of leather-bound, hand-written diaries about 4 1/4″ wide by 6 1/2″ high, in which he recorded his wartime experiences. The diaries date from October 6, 1862 to October 9, 1864. Some of the entries are in ink and some in pencil; in general, they are difficult to read. Gael and I have spent many hours transcribing the diaries verbatim into readable form.
This work is an attempt to follow Charles Kelly through his war yearsand, based on his diaries, to get a sense of what he experienced. I have also provided background into the broader scope of what Charles, together with millions of other Americans experienced before and during the time he served in Company C of the 44th New York Volunteer Infantry.
-Don Owen
Paperback Edition:
ISBN: 979-8-9870665-0-8
Publisher: By the Dock Publishing
Release Date: 2022
Pages: 296
The Siege of Petersburg Online: Beyond the Crater Pages Which Mention This Book: