The Civil War Diary of Freeman Colby, Volume 1: 1862

What seems like a million years ago now, I supported a Kickstarter campaign for volume 3 of The Civil War Diary of Freeman Colby, and I am so glad I did. I read the first book a long while ago, and so much of it stayed with me. It is a faithful, compelling, informative, moving, and often funny adaptation of a Civil War soldier's diary (just like the title says!). When the war broke out, this 21-year-old New Hampshirite was a teacher, but when his gung-ho little brother Newton enlisted in the Union Army, his parents entreated him also to join so he could look after the impetuous lad. 

What follows is a treasure trove of experiences, a primary account of what these soldiers did, where they stayed, what they endured, and what they ate. That last point especially looms large, as much of this book involves matters we mostly take for granted today, such as a regular diet, routine medical care, and a host of gastrointestinal plights that plagued these soldiers for various reasons. Things are not always so great for poor Freeman. Also, we get to see the not always brilliant machinations of military leadership as well as the events of the day as interpreted by a civilian.

This last point is one of the main features of this book that really makes it sing. I love how this book is all from the viewpoint of a person I had never heard of before, and mostly the soldiers in these pages are basically homesick kids. It really impresses a view of the war in a unique and memorable way, a truly invaluable view of history. 

The other main feature that really makes an impression is the highly expressive artwork. Sure, it looks simple, with its spare lines and almost stick-figure rendering, but this simplicity belies the use of reference materials, much craft, and thoughtfulness. The accounts here are imbued with so much movement and feeling that they are almost palpable. It may be a cliche to say that this book makes history come to life, but I'll dare say it anyway. This series of books is an excellent resource for anyone interested in or learning about the US Civil War. And to boot, Volume 1 of the series was named one of YALSA's Great Graphic Novels for Teens in 2017.

Artist/educator Marek Bennett created this book and also runs his Comic Workshop across New England. In addition to the Freeman Colby series, he has also collaborated with a host of creators on The Most Costly Journey/El Viaje Más Caro, a graphic medicine/ethnographic look at migrant workers in Vermont. He speaks about his work on the Civil War Diary series in this interview.

The Civil War Diary of Freeman Colby was published by Comics Workshop, and they offer a preview and more info about it here. Thus far, there are three volumes in the series