Springer (1810-1892), a Union army chaplain stationed in Arkansas, kept a wartime journal that detailed his activities and also reflected on what he saw and experienced in daily life and in battle. At Fort Smith, in addition to preaching and ministering to the troops, Springer was placed in charge of refugees widows, children, and contrabands. He also wrote articles and columns in the Fort Smith New Era under a pseudonym. The volume includes historic photographs and reproductions of diary pages; appendices contain accounts of six military executions that Springer witnessed, the last letters home of two rebel soldiers executed at Fort Smith, and Springer's eulogy for Abraham Lincoln, his one-time neighbor. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)