The story of the Bull brothers begins prior to the firing on Fort Sumter and presents the reader with some fascinating information on ante-bellum military preparations for the upcoming war. From Camp Jackson in May 1861, William takes the reader through four years of military service, covering the battles of Pea Ridge, Corinth, Prairie Grove, Helena, the Red River and Camden campaigns and a few smaller engagements.

List of maps : Trans-Mississippi area of operations (1861-1865) ; Battle of Prairie Grove (December 7, 1862) ; Battle of Helena (July 4, 1863) ; Approaches to Little Rock (August-September 1863) ; Crossing Arkansas River at Terry's Ferry (September 10, 1863) ; Union map of the Battle of Pleasant Hill (April 9, 1964)

Reminiscence and diary of William Jeffery Bull. First military adventure --War comes to Missouri -- Going south to join Price -- Pea Ridge and crossing the Mississippi -- Back to the Trans-Mississippi (Diary of events: July 18 to September 5, 1862) -- March to Hindman's Army [Diary of events: September 6 to November 13, 1862] -- The Prairie Grove Campaign [Diary of events: November 13 to December 25, 1862] -- Van Buren and the movement to Little Rock [Diary of events: December 28, 1862 to January 22, 1863] -- Battle of Helena, Arkansas (July 4, 1863) --The fall of Little Rock -- Incidents of the War in St. Louis -- The War- 1864 to the surrender (Jenkins Ferry, April 30, 1864) -- The road home and the end of service -- Letters to home by William J. Bull and John P. Bull -- Appendices. A: Roaster of Gorham's / Tilden's / Lesueur's / Third Missouri Filed Battery -- B: Selected biographies. Major General John S. Bowen -- Major General John C. Fremont -- Brigadier General Daniel M. Frost -- Major General Thomas C. Hindman -- Lieutenant General Theophilus H. Holmes -- Colonel Emmett MacDonald -- Major General John Sappington Marmaduke -- Major General Mosby M. Parson -- Major General Sterling Price -- Brigadier General Joseph O. Shelby -- General Edmund Kirby Smith -- Major General Frederick Steele -- Colonel Alexander Steen -- Lieutenant General Richard Taylor -- Major General Earl Van Dorn -- C: Units assembled at Camp Jackson, May 3-10, 1861 -- D: Passengers of the Iatan, December 2, 1861 -- E: Dead and wounded surrounding Camp Jackson affair.