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…

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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.