David W. Stafford

Best known for In Defense of the Flag: A True War Story, this author served in Company D of the 83rd Pennsylvania Volunteers during the American Civil War. The book was published in 1904 and presents his own experiences in the war, including combat, capture, and imprisonment.

His writing stands out for its immediacy. Rather than offering a distant overview, he tells the story from the ground level, focusing on the fear, endurance, and loyalty that shaped a soldier's daily life.

Reliable biographical details beyond his military service and authorship were not clearly confirmed in the sources I found, so this overview keeps to the parts that can be supported directly by the available records.