He quote one of my gg grandfather's letters (from the thesis) in the book.
McPherson was a good prof, even though he sometimes said some dumb stuff. He got the whole UDC and SCV out after him for calling them racist.
I guess he can't help it, he's a northeastern liberal, but his book was pretty honest because he let the men speak for themselves through their letters.
As I have been researching family histories, I have found several letters and they are truly fascinating! My great grandmother had two sisters - one whose son fought for the North and died at Andersonville and the other whose son fought for the South, survived the war, and then died of the flu on his way home. (She actually had his name legally changed to “Return Jonathan” before he left because she was so determined not to lose him in the war!)