Beschreibung:

Brown leather bound compilation, titled in gilt on cover, Journal./ Jos. C. Audenried,/ Colonel & Aide-De-Camp./ United States Army, partial title in gilt on spine, single volume, approx. 330pp. Handwritten final drafts of Audenried's memoirs, divided into two sections, the first titled, Jos. C. Audenried/ Colonel & Aide-de-Camp, Staff General W.T. Sherman/ Commdg. US Army, Head quarters of the Army/ Washington, DC/ December 17th 1873; the second section titled, General Sherman in Europe and the East/ by Jos. C. Audenried. The first section begins with Audenried's arrival at West Point in 1857 and his early military experience during the Civil War. A few passages read: At the time of my admittance to the Military Academy, peace and plenty reigned through out the United States and War seemed a thing almost impossible. On the 24th of June 1861 I graduated at West Point. The year previous the difficulties at Harper's Ferry occasioned by the raid of John Brown had greatly excited the Cadets from the South and they were accordingly very bitter towards the North and the abolitionists. I frequently heard the cheer "Hurrah for a Southern Confederacy" without knowing what it implied... En route to Yorktown, the enemy had buried shells, so arranged as to explode the moment anything struck them. Among these we passed with great good luck only one man and horse were hurt. Passing down a deep cut in the road we found a pile of abandoned stores burning. Among these were shells which occasionally exploded making a very disagreeable gauntlet to run...About four miles from Williamsburg, we encountered the enemy pretty strong in Cavalry... At Fredericksburg, I rode among [Sumner's staff] and never during all the war did I come under heavier fire of musketry. The bullets seemed to hiss by one in every direction, and I closed my mouth each moment expecting each moment to get my death wound. I am glad to remember now how perfectly calm I was at that critical moment. I felt a blow to my leg and thinking a retreating soldier had run against me, I looked down quickly and saw the blood upon my sabre. I knew then that I was wounded.... He goes on in further detail about many major battles, including the Battle of Bull Run, and other encounters while under enemy fire. In the second section, Audenried’s account of his military and diplomatic tour of Europe as aide-de-camp to W.T. Sherman, is distinguished by keen insight and polished writing. Whether traveling in western, southern, eastern, or central Europe or the Levant, Audenried displays a fascination with the exoticism of everyday life mixed with the condescension of an upper class American, making for great reading on every page. Selecting a few passages to provide a sense of the writing and content of the diary: Visiting the Gypsy Quarter in Granada, he wrote: We passed through the Gypsy Quarter. The habitations of these people are caves made in the side hills which being composed of sand and clay are easily excavated. Windows, doors, and a kind of chimney are added, and in such places live the peoples, donkeys, hogs, and the live stock possessed by each family. These people are inveterate gamblers and the children immediately beset us begging for alms and threw stones at us when we did not respond.... While gathered with the military and political hoi polloi of Spain, Audenried and Sherman met a general of the Spanish army whom he had met while the general toured the Army of the Potomac during the Civil War. When they were led in to meet the King of Spain, they were not impressed with what they saw: we passed thro one small room into another where we were presented to the King, (Amadeo, son of the King of Italy, and one year King of Spain). His manner was cordial and he shook us each by the hand. Some little conversation took place in Spanish, which language the General speaks...I judged him to be about thirty. He was tall, thin, and awkward in his manner and wore his beard full and hi