Seth J. (Seth James) Wells

Born in 1842, Seth J. Wells is remembered for the diary that was later published as The Siege of Vicksburg. The surviving record presents him not as a literary figure in the usual sense, but as a careful observer whose day-by-day notes capture camp life, marching, hardship, and combat during the American Civil War.

Available catalog and ebook sources identify him as Seth James Wells and date his life to 1842–1864. The published diary focuses on his experience around Vicksburg and has remained of interest because it preserves the voice of a young soldier close to the events themselves.

Little biographical detail is consistently documented in easily verified sources beyond the basics of his service-era diary and its later publication. I couldn’t confirm a suitable portrait of him from the pages I checked, so none is included here.