Publication of Note | March 2021
James M. Dalzell, "Private Dalzell: His Autobiography, Poems and Comic War Papers" (Cincinnati, OH: Robert Clarke & Co., 1888).
*Throughout 2021 the “Publication of Note” portion of the newsletter will highlight some of our director’s favorite histories and reminiscences published in the immediate decades following the Civil War.
From his home in Caldwell, Ohio, slightly more than two decades after the Civil War’s end, James Dalzell fulfilled a promise he made to the “public” and published his autobiography. By the time of the book’s publication, Dalzell had been elected to various political posts in Ohio including prosecuting attorney for Noble County and member of the Buckeye State’s House of Representatives. While Dalzell’s autobiography covers all facets of his life until the mid-1880s, those interested in the Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley will find Dalzell’s volume quite beneficial.
In August 1862, Dalzell enlisted in the 116th Ohio Volunteer Infantry—a regiment which spent a great deal of time in the Shenandoah Valley in 1863 and 1864. Included in the book are 12 “War Sketches,” which focus on various moments during Dalzell’s service in the 116th Ohio. These include reminiscences about the winter of 1864 in the Shenandoah Valley, the Battle of Piedmont, Winchester, General Robert H. Milroy, and interactions with African Americans.
Additionally, Dalzell’s autobiography includes several addresses he delivered to veterans’ organizations in the Civil War’s aftermath and poems inspired by his wartime experiences. Although print copies of this book are not readily available, the book is available digitally via Google books.
