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Excerpt
from Thiselton's diary, |
The journal itself is somewhat puzzling, in that the writing is consistently uniform, containing no cross-outs. Each day lists precisely what time marches were begun and ended, and how many miles were traveled. Presumably, Thiselton copied the journal over either from notes or from an earlier, field-written version, as it seems impossible that this neat document lasted through four years of active duty. While the content of the journal is fascinating, it is equally interesting to consider what is absent from its pages. Nowhere in the journal does Thiselton use the pronoun "I." Even when writing of the 1864 election, he is circumspect: "Soldiers were busy sending off their votes. McClellan and Seymore are evidently not favorites with the soldiers."(Page 80)
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