The Rebel Yell & the Yankee Hurrah

The Civil War Journal of a Maine Volunteer

John W. Haley - Edited by Ruth L. Silliker

On an "I will if you will" dare, John Haley enlisted in the 17th Maine Regiment in August 1862 "for three years, unless sooner discharged." ("Discharged, shot, or starved" would have been more accurate, Haley later wryly observed.) Though a reluctant soldier at first, he served steadfastly in the Army of the Potomac for nearly three years, participating in some of the most significant battles of the Civil War.

John Haley was not the only soldier to record each day's events in his journal by firelight or by picket's lantern, for his was a literate generation. He was unusual in that he later painstakingly rewrote his battlefield notes, "reflecting at leisure" and adding fascinating political and personal commentary to produce the remarkable volume he calls Haley's Chronicles.

Down East Books

Pages: 320 • Trim: 6 x 9

978-1-60893-346-4 • Paperback • September 2014 • $19.95 • (£13.95)

978-1-60893-347-1 • eBook • September 2014 • $9.95 • (£6.95)

Subjects: History / United States / Civil War Period (1850-1877), Biography & Autobiography / Military, History / United States / State & Local / Middle Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA)

The Rebel Yell & the Yankee Hurrah

The Civil War Journal of a Maine Volunteer

Paperback

eBook

Summary

On an "I will if you will" dare, John Haley enlisted in the 17th Maine Regiment in August 1862 "for three years, unless sooner discharged." ("Discharged, shot, or starved" would have been more accurate, Haley later wryly observed.) Though a reluctant soldier at first, he served steadfastly in the Army of the Potomac for nearly three years, participating in some of the most significant battles of the Civil War.

John Haley was not the only soldier to record each day's events in his journal by firelight or by picket's lantern, for his was a literate generation. He was unusual in that he later painstakingly rewrote his battlefield notes, "reflecting at leisure" and adding fascinating political and personal commentary to produce the remarkable volume he calls Haley's Chronicles.

Details

Down East Books

Pages: 320 • Trim: 6 x 9

978-1-60893-346-4 • Paperback • September 2014 • $19.95 • (£13.95)

978-1-60893-347-1 • eBook • September 2014 • $9.95 • (£6.95)

Subjects: History / United States / Civil War Period (1850-1877), Biography & Autobiography / Military, History / United States / State & Local / Middle Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA)

Author

Freelance writer Ruth Silliker lives in Saco, Maine with her husband. She unearthed John Haley's chronicles in 1981, while researching another project at Saco's Dyer Library, and she was so taken with her discovery that she put aside her other writing pursuits in order to devote all her time and energy to editing this memoir.

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction
Who Was John Haley?: A Brief Biography
Prologue
1. Camp King, Cape Elizabeth
2. Off to the Land of Dixie
3. The Chase is On
4. Fredericksburg
5. The Mud March
6. Chancellorsville
7. March to Gettysburg
8. Battle of Gettysburg
9. From Gettysburg to the Wilderness
10. Winter and Spring of 1864
11. Battle of the Wilderness
12. Battle of Po River
13. Spotsylvania
14. Battle of Cold Harbor
15. The Siege of Petersburg Begins
16. Autumns Siege of Petersburg
17. Winter of 1865
18. The Fall of Petersburg
19. Appomattox
20. The Long Road
21. Roster of Company I
Appendices
Chapter Notes
Bibliography

Reviews

A significant bit of Americana and an absolute must for Civil War buffs.

— Publishers Weekly

This reviewer has never read a Civil War journal quite like this one. Haley was a wonderfully witty writer...the universal soldier...The Rebel Yell & the Yankee Hurrah is destined to become a classic among Civil War journals.
— Civil War Times

The journal is a real "find" which provides poignant insight into the war as viewed by a young, articulate man in the ranks.

— Blue & Gray Magazine

Haley’s journal is a wealth of details, from the daily mileage counts of marching over hill and dale, frequently in foul weather and unfamiliar terrain, to encounters with strangers of great wealth or great poverty.
— The Quoddy Tides

The Rebel Yell & the Yankee Hurrah

The Civil War Journal of a Maine Volunteer

John W. Haley - Edited by Ruth L. Silliker

The Rebel Yell & the Yankee Hurrah

The Civil War Journal of a Maine Volunteer

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