The Man Who Carried a Drum

28th. Thursday morning. Marched at 6 o'clock A.M. Marched for Ringguild [Ringgold.] Crossed the Chickamaugee River at 11 o'clock on a foot log. The whole brigade had to cross on two-foot briges that consisted of a single log acrost, we were over two hours in getting over. We marched within one mile of Ringould and waited for dinner. After dinner we marched down through the town. The best of the town had been burned by Gen Thomas at the time of the Battle of Chickamaugee because the citizens fired at our troops from their bildings. All encamped at Tunnel Hill about one-and-one-half miles the other side of town. Our Regt. was on picket duty that night.



-From the diary of Harvey Amasa Chapman



Experience an unforgettable journey into the minds, hearts, and daily lives of a family who lived through the American Civil War. In over one hundred actual letters and a camp diary, the lives of author David Chapman's great-grandfather, Harvey Amasa Chapman, his family and friends are faithfully transcribed to capture every compelling detail. Their words reveal the intimate and heartfelt truths they shared as they endured one of the most tumultuous times in American history.



Profoundly moving and incredibly timely, The Man Who Carried a Drum: 108 War Letters and Love Letters of a Civil War Medic resonates with the struggles Americans face today.