Civil War Diary of Freeman Colby (1861-1863)

“A NH Teacher Goes to War”
Comics Adaptation of a Henniker Native’s Written Account

Freeman Colby enlisted in the MA 39th Volunteers partly out of thirst for adventure, and partly to keep his brother Newton out of trouble…

BOOKS NOW AVAILABLE:

Episodes available online:

• The Civil War Diary of Freeman Colby (INTRO) - 1861: Background info & links for Freeman's diary ...
• Colby 1: When the War Broke Out - 1861: Freeman Colby (of Henniker) needs a break from the rigors of teaching… so he enlists to fight in the Civil War!
• Colby 2: How Relentless - 1861: Freeman Colby recalls Northern attitudes that Spring …
• Colby 3: Woburn - 1861-2: Colby finds work at an unfamiliar Massachusetts town…
• Colby 4: Newton, My Brother - 1862: Freeman Colby's little brother can't wait to go to war!
• Colby 5: We Enlisted - 1862: The Colby brothers sign up with a Massachusetts regiment…
• Colby 6: A Critical Inspection of the Teeth - 1862: The 39th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment has high standards for its recruits…
• Colby 7: Just in Case - 1862: You're in the army now.
• Colby 8: Company K - 1862: Three NH lads muster with the Woburn men...
• Colby 9: Camp Life - 1862: Camp routine of the 39th Massachusetts Company K...
• Colby 10: Stuff for Sale - 1862: Camp “venders” settle in to make money off the boys in blue…
• Colby 11: Captain’s Promise - 1862: Is Captain Richardson playing favorites in the furlough department?
• Colby 12: Close to Home - 1862: Those lucky boys from Woburn get to visit home any time they want ...
• Colby 13: Devoted to Drilling - 1862: This seems almost idyllic... until you consider the horrors these men will soon face.
• Colby 14: Dash for the Train - 1862: Jonas and Freeman go AWOL to visit Henniker one last time before shipping out...
• Colby 15: Evasion - 1862: Two soldiers on the run skip Boston, evade arrest, and proceed straight to NH!
• Colby 16: Visiting Family - 1862: Colby talks politics with various branches of the family during his week at home...
• Colby 17: Farewell - 1862: At the end of his informal furlough, AWOL Freeman must say good-bye...
• Colby 18: Rejoining the Regiment - 1862: Colby & Bacon try to slip back into their Regiment as it passes through Boston...
• Colby 19: Getting Back - 1862: Despite the Captain's wrath, Colby seems to really relish this memory of his escape from camp the week before ...
• Colby 20: On Parade - 1862: Discipline stretches in the hot noonday sun ...
• Colby 21: The Wait - 1862: Colby's long slow journey to the front continues ...
• Colby 22: Philadelphia by Mule - 1862: With the war raging next door in Maryland, the city of Philadelphia STILL insists on certain inconvenient city ordinances ...
• Colby 23: Union Volunteer Refreshment Saloon - 1862: The regiment receives a generous reception in Philly ...
• Colby 24: Baltimore Poison - 1862: Dangers of roadside rebel coffee in Baltimore ...
• Colby 25: Rumors of Jackson - 1862: Gossip spreads about the regiment's first assignment ...
• Colby 26: Washington - 1862: Colby's regiment finally reaches Washington, but Newton's sick in the hospital when the work begins ...
• Colby 27: Ellsworth & Lee - 1862: Colby surveys his surroundings & recalls the big names that shaped history here ...
• Colby 28: Not Far Away - 1862: While waiting in camp at Washington, Colby hears news of nearby engagements...
• Colby 29: Chance Meeting - Colby runs into his fiancee's older brother-in-law in camp at Arlington Heights ...
• Colby 30: Night’s March! - 1862: The orders go out: It's a night's march! ...
• Colby 31: Dusty Roads - 1862: Troop movements along the Potomac ...
• Colby 32: We Plodded Doggedly On - 1862: The sun goes down & the miles drag on ...
• Colby 33: Straggling Commenced - 1862: Colby's regiment gets back to basics on its first hard night march ...
• Colby & Bacon on a Night March - The officers, no doubt, feel a certain urgency ...
• Colby 34: Trouble in Camp - 1862: Colby & Bacon may have "straggled" in a field the night before, but they're up at dawn and on the road ...
• Colby 35: Day of Rest - 1862: Colby's footsore "day of rest" just happens to be the bloodiest day in US military history ...
• Colby 36: A Full Statement of the Case - 1862: Freeman & Jonas finally get to plead their case regarding their dramatic escape from camp ...
• Colby 37: The Captain Would Always Hate Us - 1862: Colby & Bacon may have escaped military discipline, but the Captain still holds a grudge ...
• Colby 38: The Picket Line - 1862: How they guarded the Potomac River, border between Union and Rebellion ...

• Colby 39: And a Vigilant Lookout - 1862: Rebels on the far bank!
• Colby 40: Button Our Blankets Together - 1862: Making the most of limited shelter while the season grows colder ...
• Colby 41: Newton & the Georgetown Mules - 1862: Freeman's hapless brother Newton Colby seems to have a knack for getting himself into trouble ...
• Colby 42: A Hundred Feet of Rope - 1862: As far as Newton is concerned, the longer the rope, the bigger the tangle ...
• Colby 43: Newton Takes Charge - 1862: Newton takes charge ...
• Colby 44: As Light As Possible - 1862: Freeman checks up on his little brother ...
• Colby 45: The Bones They Found - 1862: Recognizing the anniversary of the Battle of Ball's Bluff (1861) ...
• Colby 46: Alarm - 1862: Alert! Alert! The enemy approaches! (Or DOES he...?)
• Colby 47: “None of us were any too well pleased” - 1862: Camp life is definitely a step down from picket duty ...
• Colby 48: Camp Schedule - 1862: Daily routine in a union camp along the Potomac lines ...
• Colby 49: Work Detail - 1862: Colby's camp needs firewood ...
• Colby 50: Teamwork - 1862: With a little teamwork and vigilance, a squad of Union soldiers can accomplish an astonishing amount of... card-playing?!
• Colby & Co. in the Woods - We couldn't resist imagining what a woodcutting detail might have been like...
• Colby 51: Fair Shot - 1862: Maybe this is why the picket guards were such poor shots? ...
• Colby 52: Rumors - 1862: Real news was scarce indeed ...
• Colby 53: Newspapers - 1862: Colby finds an unquenchable thirst for reading material in camp ...
• Colby 54: Peaches - 1862: An intriguing meditation on property, slavery, and justice by our Northern narrator:
• Colby 55: Hospitality - 1862: Union boys aren't supposed to take anything from the southron farms they pass...
• Colby 56: Caught At It - 1862: Newton tries his hand at peach orchard thievery:
• Colby 57: Rations - 1862: Col. Stearns secures more (if not better) victuals:
• Colby 58: Skirmish - 1862: A harrowing day of marching, waiting, marching, & wondering...
• Colby 59: Muddy Branch - A change of scenery & water supply ...
• Colby 60: Marching Orders - Waiting for action ...
• Colby 61: Mail - 1862: News and views from the old NH home ...
• Colby 62: Thus Far - 1862: Colby takes stock of the war ...
• Colby 63: Guarding Rebel Property - 1862: Colby's complaints against the army's anti-foraging policies ...
• Colby 64: “Even the Negroes” - 1862: Colby vents his jealousy of the treatment received by former slaves ...
• Colby 65: Officers - 1862: As an independent New Englander, Colby chafes at the army's rigid protocols ...
• Colby 66: Rain - 1862: The weather turns muddy ...
• Colby at Muddy Branch - Somehow, Colby has to get a pail of drinking water out of Muddy Branch Creek ...
• Colby 67: Water - 1862: Water problems in camp ...
• Colby 68: Sick Call - 1862: Jonas falls first, and the men line up ...
• Colby 69: Treatment - 1862: The regimental surgeon is an expert ... in foiling fakers!
• Colby 70: Too Sick to Mind - 1862: Finally, illness comes to Colby ...
• Colby 71: The Yallers - 1862: And now we have a diagnosis!
• Colby 72: Hospital Tent - 1862: Colby succumbs to medical treatment ...
• Colby 73: Graybacks - 1862: The sick tent has other inhabitants, besides the patients ...
• Colby 74: Scanning Our Worn Clothes - Eviction day for Colby's corporeal guests ...
• Colby 75: Bravado & Hardihood - Some of the men are "hardier" than others ...
• Colby 76: Rations - Talking food with the tent-mates ...
• Colby 77: Regimental Sutler - 1862: Sutler Pullen provides the goods... IF you have the money!
• Colby 78: Pay - Colby displays a distinct lack of confidence in the stability of the US currency ...
• Colby 79: Warmth - 1862: Cotton just isn't warm enough for the southern Winter ...
• Colby 80: Stoves - Finally, a fire in the tent! ...
• Colby 81: Camp Desolation - The regiment prepares for Winter Quarters ...
• Colby 82: On the March (Again) - Can't you just hear Captain Richardson's teeth grinding in rage? ...
• Colby 83: Be Prepared - 1862: Hard to get a good night's sleep when rumors of raids run rampant ...
• Colby 84: Offutt’s Crossroads - Colby enjoys the lovely fall weather ... for a little while.
• Colby 85: Mail - Postal privileges & caustic comments from the camp of the 39th MA:
• Colby 86: Sick (Again) - 1862: Newton's troubles are far from over...
• Colby 87: Awaiting Sunshine - The 39th MA's casualty cases are going nowhere fast ...
• Colby 88: “A Fine Drunk” - Tensions arise in camp as the holidays approach ...
• Colby 89: Knife - Colby's father sends him a knife in his holiday box, but will it get past Capt. Richardson?
• Colby 90: Unpacking - 1862: Now that the holiday boxes have finally arrived, the boys choose to look on the bright side...
• Colby 91: Tea - A dipper of hot tea brings back memories of home ...
• Colby 92: Another Rebel Raid - Even in winter quarters, the 39th Mass. Volunteers can't quite relax ...
• Colby 93: Medicine Enough - Colby's health woes continue, but he returns to duty at last ...
• Colby 94: Casualties - Mounting casualties feed anti-war sentiment at the North ...
• Colby 95: Sunday - A sabbath (of sorts) in camp:
• Colby 96: Newton’s Transfer - Newton finally ships out on a barge bound for Washington ...
• Colby 97: Hope - A brother's concern about the wartime hospital system ...
• Colby 98: Quick Note - News from Newton!
• Colby 99: “Parker Richardson is in camp” - A well-connected visitor passes through ...
• Colby 100: Warm Weather - Enjoy it while it lasts, and send home for treats!
• Colby 101: We Had Objections - Do officers have special party privileges? ...
• Colby 102: Holiday - 1862: Colby gets an unexpected holiday break as Christmas approaches ...
• Colby 103: Bakery Nearby - 1862: Colby's on sick leave, waiting to catch a ride back up to the front ...
• Colby 104: Ice - 1862: A cold night on the canal ...
• Colby 105: Surrounded at Prayer - Evidence of a cavalry raid at Poolesville ...
• Colby 106: Reassurances - Colby writes to tell his family it's not all that bad ...
• Colby 107: Holidays at the South - Colby observes Christmas festivities far from his native New Hampshire ...
• Colby 108: Place of Honor - More maneuvers along the Potomac ...
• Colby 109: Duty - The regiment's responsibilities:
• Colby 110: Tentmates - Some blanket teamwork keeps the boys warm...
• Colby 111: Stockading - The boys make good use of the warm winter weather ...
• Colby 112: Sham Fight - 1863: An entertaining pastime turns dangerous at the "Second Great Battle of Poolsville" ...
• Colby 113: Lucky Soldier - 1863: Colby receives the best birthday mail EVER from his family at New England ...
• Colby 114: Weak and Sick but Happy to be Home - 1863: Finally, a letter arrives -- brother Newton has made it back to New Hampshire!
• Colby 115: Awaiting a Discharge - 1863: Newton writes of his road to recovery & quest for a furlough ...
• Colby 116: Patient Patient - Newton's story, continued ...
• Historical New Hampshire Vol. 71 No. 1 - Featuring "Drawing Freeman Colby," an 18-page full-color article about the "Live Free & Draw" comics creation process.
• Freeman Colby Vol. 2, Episode 1: New Year’s Day, 1863 - January, 1863: Writing home while on picket duty.

~ MORE TO COME ~