author
James Madison Stone
b. 1840
A Union private turned his wartime memories into a vivid firsthand account of the American Civil War. His writing brings camp life, marches, and battle experience down to a personal, human scale.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in 1840, James Madison Stone is known for Personal Recollections of the Civil War, published in 1918. The book presents the war through the eyes of an ordinary soldier rather than a distant historian, which gives it an immediate and readable quality.
Stone served as a private in the 21st Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, and his memoir focuses on what he saw and endured in that regiment. That perspective makes his work especially valuable for listeners interested in everyday military life, not just major events and famous leaders.
Today, his reputation rests on that firsthand narrative, which has been preserved by major libraries and digital archives. For many readers, Stone's appeal is simple: he offers a direct, personal voice from the Civil War era.