The Memoirs of Charles Henry Veil

Charles Veil, a Pennsylvanian, joined the Union army in 1861. At Gettysburg he recovered the body of General John Reynolds, and Reynolds's grateful family secured him a regular commission in the 1st U.S. Cavalry. Veil (1842-1910) compiled a distinguished combat record, finishing the war as a brevet major. His narrative, effectively edited by Viola, a historian with the Smithsonian Institution, presents life in the Army of the Potomac from the unusual perspective of someone who was both an infantryman and a trooper. The text is also significant for its insight into the Civil War's impact on citizen-soldiers. Not all wished to return to the humdrum ways of peace. Not all were able to. Veil chose to make the army his career. Assigned to Arizona, he spent more time pursuing deserters than fighting Apaches. He spent even more time facing inquiries and court-martials on charges ranging from consorting with loose women to misusing government funds. In 1870 he was dismissed from the service--a victim as much of post-traumatic stress disorder as of any character flaws.