A Union supporter once said What is a man s life worth if our glorious union is to be shattered by traitors President Lincoln s volunteers and conscripted soldiers expanded the permanent Union army to include 1 700 regiments of foot soldiers during the course of the war Those who became part of Mr Lincoln s Army came from various social and economic conditions and they documented their day to day life in diaries letters and memoirs Drawing on these narratives contemporary photographs and meticulous archival research this book provides a vivid account of the common Union infantryman from recruitment and training to his experiences on the battlefield during the American Civil War 1861 1865