Men of Granite

Duane E. Shaffer tells the story of the thirty-five thousand New Hampshire soldiers--representing approximately 11 percent of the state's population--who were dispatched to serve the Union in seventeen infantry regiments, two cavalry regiments, three artillery batteries, and three companies of sharpshooters and as members of naval and marine units. Focusing on the day-to-day experiences of the common soldier and his reasons for taking up fight against the Confederacy, Shaffer has drawn together the experiences of all the state's regiments into this single, cohesive volume. Shaffer's narrative follows the experiences of New Hampshire troops on bivouac duty and inland raids in South Carolina lowcountry as well as in major battles such as Manassas, Antietam, Gettysburg, Cold Harbor, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Fort Wagner. Shaffer also recounts his subjects' homecoming and cements understanding of their sacrifice.