A southern boy in blue

by Marcus Woodcock

A Southern Boy in Blue is Woodcock's own account of his experiences during the war. After joining the 9th Kentucky Infantry, Woodcock barely missed the battle of Shiloh - a bout of measles kept him from the front lines - but he went on to see action at Stones River, Chickamauga, and Missionary Ridge. He also participated in the Atlanta campaign and the siege of Corinth and was among the reserves at the battle of Perryville. In three years he rose from the rank of private to that of first lieutenant. Since Woodcock wrote his memoir in 1865 (instead of much later as many veterans did), his descriptions of battles, camp life, and period politics have a special vividness. Woodcock's account is also significant in showing how his views and opinions of the war charged over time. Initially opposed to the use of black troops and to Lincoln's reelection, he eventually converted to both positions and describes the process by which he transformed his thinking. . Woodcock's memoir has been meticul