author
R. C. (Robert C.) Eden
d. 1907
A Civil War veteran and regimental historian, he is remembered for writing a firsthand account of the 37th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry soon after the war. His work brings the daily strain, movement, and morale of Union soldiers into clear view.
1 Audiobook
The sword and gun : a history of the 37th Wis. Volunteer Infantry
by R. C. (Robert C.) Eden
About the author
Best known as Major R. C. Eden, he wrote The Sword and Gun: A History of the 37th Wis. Volunteer Infantry, first published in 1865. Library and archival records consistently identify him as R. C. or Robert C. Eden and note his death in 1907.
His book is a close-up regimental history of the 37th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, following the unit from its organization through its final muster out. Because it was written so near the events it describes, it reads less like a distant summary and more like a direct record of service during the Civil War.
Very little biographical detail about Eden appears to be widely preserved online beyond his authorship, military title, and death year. What remains most valuable is the book itself: a compact, firsthand contribution to Civil War memory and Wisconsin military history.