"This book explores the psychological experience of these soldiers and civilians during the end of the Civil War in North Carolina. Using letters, diaries, and accounts the book explores how deeply "hard war" hurt soldiers and civilians and shaped the memory of the war's end."-- Provided by publisher.

Introduction: "So perish the memory of their faults!" -- "I don't believe they know right from wrong": Confederate Soldiers -- "a set of grand thieves as ever stole": Union Soldiers -- "No lark could pipe to skies so dull and gray": North Carolina Civilians -- April 10-12 "My mind is doing finely but pains me a great deal" -- April 13-16 "the greatest of human crimes for us to attempt to continue war" -- April 17- 24 "O! how the great heart of the army throbbed and swelled" -- April 24- 30 "A war took something of the boy out of us" -- May 1-4 -- "it was impossible to check the falling tears" -- Epilogue: -- "it wrings my heart to write about it."