author
Henry H. Meacham
1834–1879
A Union Army veteran who turned his own wartime suffering into a memoir, he wrote with plainspoken force about service, injury, and the struggle to survive after the Civil War. His story gives a vivid, personal view of disability, poverty, and resilience in 19th-century America.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Before the Civil War, Henry H. Meacham worked as a carriage-maker in Russell, Massachusetts. When the war began, he volunteered for Union service and later became known for the severe wound that cost him his right arm near Petersburg in 1864.
After the war, he wrote The Empty Sleeve: or, The Life and Hardships of Henry H. Meacham, in the Union Army, a memoir sold for his benefit. The book is both a soldier's firsthand account and a record of the hardship he and his wife faced while trying to make a living after his injury.
Today, Meacham is remembered not only as a Civil War memoirist, but also as an important witness to what happened to many disabled veterans once the fighting ended. His writing stands out for its directness and for the way it connects battlefield experience to the long, difficult aftermath of war.