The History of Company A, Second Illinois Cavalry

A firsthand chronicle of an Illinois cavalry regiment, this narrative follows a group of volunteers who answered the call of duty as the nation teetered on the brink of civil war. Their enlistment is set against the backdrop of heated debates over slavery and patriotism, and the book captures the raw excitement and solemn oath taken as the unit assembled, received its flag, and marched toward Camp Butler and the strategic river towns of Cairo and Fort Massac.

The account then moves into the company’s first combat experiences, detailing the tense preparations for the assaults on Fort Henry and Fort Donelson and the chaotic rush of men into the smoky fields of Shiloh. Through vivid descriptions of captured batteries, sudden river crossings, and the grueling conditions of early camps, the author conveys both the bravery and the hardship that defined these opening battles, offering listeners a grounded sense of the soldiers’ resolve and the harsh realities of war’s first act.