In Memory of Self and Comrades: Thomas Wallace Colley's Recollections of Civil War Service in the 1st Virginia Cavalry (Voices of the Civil War)

About this book

Thomas W. Colley served in one of the most active and famous units in the Civil War the 1st Virginia Cavalry which fought in battles in the Eastern Theater from First Manassas/Bull Run to the defense of Petersburg. Colley was born November 11 1837 outside Abingdon Virginia and grew up knowing the daily demands of life on a farm. In May 1861 along with the other members of the Washington Mounted Rifles he left his home in Washington County and reported to camp in Richmond. During the war Colley received wounds on three different occasions: first at Waterloo Bridge in 1862 again at Kellys Ford in 1863 and finally at Haws Shop in 1864. The engagement at Haws Shop resulted in the amputation of his left foot thereby ending his wartime service. The first modern scholarly edition of Colleys writings In Memory of Self and Comrades dramatizes Colleys fate as a wounded soldier mustered out before the wars conclusion. Colleys postwar reflections on the war reveal his struggle to earn a living and maintain his integrity while remaining somewhat unreconciled to his condition. He found much of his solace through writing and sought to advance his education after the war. As one of an estimated 20 000 soldiers who underwent amputation during the Civil War his memoirs reveal the challenges of living with what many might recognize today as post-traumatic stress disorder. Annotations from editor Michael K. Shaffer provide further context to Colleys colorful and insightful writings on both his own condition and the condition of other veterans also dealing with amputations