"Emerson Opdycke, a lieutenant with the 41st Ohio Infantry and later a commander of the 125th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, played pivotal roles in some of the major battles of the western theater, including Chickamauga, Chattanooga, and Missionary Ridge. He won fame at the Battle of Franklin when his brigade saved the Union Army from defeat. Opdycke's letters to his wife, Lucy, offer the immediacy of the action as it unfolded and provide a glimpse into the day-to-day life of a soldier.".

"Opdycke viewed the conflict with the South as a battle between the rights of states and loyalty to the Union. An opponent of slavery, he considered it an inherent evil and believed slaveowners had been corrupted by the very institution they sought to protect. His letters reveal his opinions of combat strategies and high-ranking officers, his devotion to the Union, and his disdain for military ineptitude.

Behind the fiery temper and arrogance revealed in these letters shine concern for his family's welfare and a loving and intellectual relationip with Lucy."--BOOK JACKET.