War from the Inside

With two hours to learn his duties, Frederick L. Hitchcock faces a regiment's dress parade as a newly appointed adjutant in September 1862. His account of the 132nd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry begins with that embarrassing lesson in command. Written from his own observations and experiences, the narrative follows a volunteer regiment through service in the American Civil War, with chapters on Antietam, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville.

Hitchcock also records the practical demands of soldiering and everyday military responsibilities. He describes the change from meals and beds at home to uncertain food and sleeping under the sky. During the winter near Falmouth, a new assignment brings responsibility for the sentinels guarding the army's front. His explanations of picket lines and camp duties make the memoir useful for readers interested in how inexperienced officers learned their work and how a regiment managed its daily life.