The Military Journals of Two Private Soldiers, 1758-1775 With Numerous Illustrative Notes

"The Military Journals of Two Private Soldiers, 1758-1775" by Abraham Tomlinson is a mid-19th century historical book presenting the real journals of two average soldiers during America's early wars. The book paints a picture of what life was like for regular soldiers, focusing on times of battle in the French and Indian war and the Revolutionary war. The author sets the scene with the French and Indian War, talking about the land fights between the French and English, and pointing out big battles like the one at Ticonderoga before diving into a personal journal by Lemuel Lyon. Lemuel writes about signing up, the normal march, meetings, and everything that happened in camp. His entries show how hard military life was and also the friendships and problems these soldiers had, very different from the "glory" of war. From the get-go, the book shares historical events as seen by the common man.