author
George W. Petty
A U.S. soldier-writer, he left behind a lively first-person account of camp life with L Company of the Second New Jersey Volunteer Infantry during the Spanish-American War era. His book stands out for its close-up view of military routine, comradeship, and the waiting that shaped service as much as battle.
1 Audiobook
In Camp with L Company, Second Regiment New Jersey Volunteer Infantry
by George W. Petty
About the author
George W. Petty is known for In Camp with L Company, Second Regiment New Jersey Volunteer Infantry, published in 1900. The book identifies him as Corporal George W. Petty, and it presents a firsthand account of life in L Company of the Second New Jersey Volunteer Infantry.
Rather than telling a grand military history from a distance, Petty wrote from inside the camp, focusing on the everyday experience of enlisted men. His account follows the regiment through training, movement, and camp life during the Spanish-American War period, giving readers a direct sense of the humor, uncertainty, and discipline of soldiering.
Very little biographical information about Petty was easy to confirm beyond what is attached to this book, so he remains a somewhat elusive figure. That makes his writing all the more valuable: it preserves the voice of someone who was there, recording the ordinary details that larger histories often leave out.