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Summary: Pennsylvania Volunteers Tell All
Review: Company E of the 2nd Pennsylvania was made of 94 men from the best families and best-educated of Westmoreland County, PA. Of the 94 men only 44 returned. (Most of the men died of disease)The two diarists detail interesting info on the deaths of comrades, which might never be known from offical documents.Living conditions, battle descriptions, commentary about leaders, many of which were prominent in the Civil War (McClellan, Hooker, etc), make this book hard to put down. The pranks these guys played are also very amusing to read. These volunteers had quite a time in Mexico!!! There are plenty of footnotes and an annotated roster of Company "E", plus a helpful index. The book is 331 pages long. No photos & few maps. Suggestions for futher reading are provided. Company "E" landed at Vera Cruz and fought in the battles from Vera Cruz to Mexico City, then did occupation duty around Mexico City. Daily life, drinking, drill, looting, gambling, bickering, suffering, etc. are all covered. Pvt. Coulter was a scavanger for this group, so he tells about the farms & ranches which he and others raided. Sgt Barclay, later a LT in the 11th US Infantry, gives more of the command & strategic issues, but also tells of the daily routine. (Information from one often supplements the comments of the other.) If you are unfamiliar with the Mexican War, this will be enlightening. For those who have some knowledge this will be a real treat.This book would also be helpful to those who wish to understand Mexican feelings about the war, because the mistreatment of Mexicans and atrocities by both sides are vividly recounted.
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