Osborne Wilson's Civil War Diaries

Osborne joined the Confederate Army in the spring of 1861. He had no idea what he was getting into. Before he was captured in April 1865, he had been in numerous battles. In his diaries, he constantly complained about the miles and miles of marching through the countryside. He and his fellow soldiers seldom had enough food or supplies. He helped scour battlefields after the fighting, searching for food, weapons, ammunition, and supplies. Letter writing was an everyday ocurrence. Often his poor health required him to help guard the ammunition train or aid with the sick and wounded in various hospitals. Some of his writings about fighting, especially at Antietam and Gettysburg, make us wonder how any of the soldiers survived the war.