The Empty Sleeve

Repeated medical rejections delay Henry H. Meacham's entry into the Union Army, but he persists until he is accepted. A carriage maker from Russell, Massachusetts, he joins Company E of the Thirty-second Massachusetts Volunteers in Virginia. His account follows the demands of service through long marches, scarce rations, cold nights and guard duty. Even the construction of winter cabins receives practical attention, with pine logs, shelter tents and chimneys made from sticks and mud.

Meacham writes in the first person, recording relief at a good meal alongside grief for comrades lost in battle. His preface explains that the loss of his right arm has limited his ability to work, and that he hopes the book will help support himself and his wife. This short Civil War narrative gives readers a private soldier's view of the Army of the Potomac, with daily discomforts and moments of rest shaping his recollections as strongly as military action.