Soldiering in North Carolina

A candid memoir from a Union private who spent nearly three years in the swamps and pine‑groves of North Carolina, this account brings the everyday realities of Civil‑War soldiering to life. From the cramped camps of Camp Cameron to the mosquito‑laden picket lines, the narrator describes the relentless heat, the ever‑present threat of disease, and the countless encounters with the region’s relentless insects and reptiles.

The narrative follows his journey from a raw recruit in Massachusetts to the 17th Regiment’s hard‑fought engagements at Kinston, Whitehall and Goldsboro. Interwoven with vivid anecdotes about the freedmen and contrabands he encountered, the story balances moments of combat with the quieter, often overlooked duties of provost work and outpost guard. Readers will hear the unvarnished voice of a soldier whose “rough and unpolished” style captures both the camaraderie and the hardships of a war fought far from home.