The Civil War diaries of David Hunter Strother, known better to his
contemporaries as "Porte Crayon," chronicle his three years of
service in the Union army with the same cogency and eye for detail
that made him one of the most popular writers and illustrators in
America in his time. A Virginian strongly opposed to secession,
Strother joined the Federal army as a civilian topographer in July
of 1861 and was soon commissioned, rising eventually to the rank of
brigadier general. He served under a succession of commanders,
including Generals Patterson, Banks, Pope, and McClellan, winning
their respect as well as their confidence. First published by UNC
Press in 1961,
A Virginia Yankee in the Civil War is a
fascinating firsthand record of the conflict and of the divided
loyalties it produced that is further enlivened by Strother's
remarkable humor and insight.
