The diary of August Scherneckau, who fought in the Civil War, is presented in this volume, a rare account from a Nebraska soldier. Scherneckau emigrated from Germany and settled in the Nebraska Territory and joined the Union Army in 1862. The diary, written for friends and relatives, tells of his service in the First Nebraska Volunteer Infantry from 1862 to 1864 in Missouri, Arkansas, and the Nebraska Territory, with descriptions of campaigns, military strategy, leadership and politics, ethnicity, and emancipation, providing a German immigrant's perspective. Potter is a historian with the Nebraska State Historical Society and associate editor of Nebraska History. Robbins, the translator, is an independent scholar. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)