Just Finished: 2 Historical Accounts

Recently I enjoyed listening to the audiobook version of Generals in Bronze: Interviewing the Commanders of the Civil War by William B. Styple and James Edward Kelly. Then yesterday I finished reading a library book A Mennonite Journal 1862-1865: A Father's Account of the Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley by Jacob R. Hildebrand .

These are both good books. Generals in Bronze is a fascinating collection of interviews conducted and written down by artist James Edward Kelly during the last quarter of the 18th century and the first quarter of the 19th century. Included are narratives by a number of Civil War generals, other eyewitnesses, plus a few famous figures of a later era including Theodore Roosevelt. Kelly was a good writer (along with being a good sculptor), and William Styple did an excellent job pulling his material into a remarkable book.

A Mennonite Journal 1862-1865 is basically a diary with extensive footnotes. Jacob R. Hildebrand was a Mennonite farmer living in the Shenandoah Valley near Fishersville. Unlike many Mennonites, his sons did not apply for an exemption but chose to enlist as Confederate soldiers.

Jacob's great-grandson John Hildebrand contributed a prologue plus introductions to each section, setting the scene and enabling readers to relate the journal to military actions. He also wrote extensive footnotes for each chapter which I found helpful.