Eleven days in the militia during the war of the rebellion A journal of the 'Emergency' campaign of 1862

A simple civilian finds himself thrust into the turmoil of September 1862 when Confederate forces loom over Pennsylvania. From the moment the alarm bells begin to toll, his journal records the scramble of hastily assembled minutemen, the uneasy camaraderie of men who have never held a rifle, and the palpable fear that the war might reach their own doorsteps. The narrative captures the raw sense of duty that propels ordinary farmers and shopkeepers to leave their farms and families behind for a brief, urgent campaign.

The writer’s entries read like a contemporaneous diary, full of unvarnished impressions of marching through familiar countryside now tinged with uncertainty. He details the makeshift camps, the clumsy drills, and the uneasy anticipation of a confrontation that never fully materializes, offering a vivid glimpse into the everyday life of militia service. For listeners, the account provides an intimate, ground‑level perspective on a little‑known episode of the Civil War, where personal resolve meets the larger currents of history.