"This is in Brief My Remenence of My army Life"

The Civil War Memoir of Louis Bir

J. D. FOWLER

Louis Bir was a typical Civil War soldier in most respects. He was young, only nineteen years old at the time of his enlistment in the Ninety-Third Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment in 1862, and he was anxious for a grand adventure. For the remainder of the war, Bir traveled across the Western Theater, experiencing the horrors of combat, the agony of wounds, and the monotony of camp life. Fortunately for future generations of historians, Bir was atypical of most Civil War soldiers in that he left a record of his experiences. This record offers a fascinating glimpse into the life of one "Billy Yank."1	1
Louis Bir in his Civil War uniform. Courtesy Vicki Blemker
Bir's reminiscences, like other recollections of the war, paint a poignant picture of the hardships of army life. He vividly describes his hunger, the poor quality of food, and his many marches across the southern countryside. Because it was produced by, about, and for members of a unit or fellow veterans, Bir's account is categorized as a first-generation narrative. Often these records have serious limitations for students of the war. Many of the authors penned their histories decades after the events described, allowing time and distance to cloud memories and distort recollections. In addition, first-generation histories almost always portray the author and his unit favorably. Incidents of cowardice, desertion, or ineptitude often are not mentioned or are presented as aberrations. Also, these narratives, while usually paying hagiographical tributes to brigade and regimental officers, tend to omit important details about the heart of all Civil War regiments—the fighting men.2	2
Sergeant Bir's account, however, is different from unit histories in two important ways. First, it is not actually a unit history but rather a personal memoir. Apparently, Bir intended his recollections to be delivered as an oral presentation, perhaps to his fellow veterans in the Grand Army of the Republic. Also, his recollections offer us an unsanitized view of the war. Indeed, the most striking aspect of Bir's memoir, and what truly makes it unique, is the author's honesty. Bir's willingness to admit to being a thief, an immature boy who cried over practical jokes, and a racist gives much credibility to his entire story.	3
Several key points emerge that highlight the importance of this work. For example, it is odd that Bir does not give a reason for his enlistment. He does not express any patriotic sentiment, nor does he mention any community or kinship pressure he may have experienced. Either Bir expected his audience to understand his motivations for fighting for the Union, or he did not consider them worth mentioning. Perhaps if he intended his audience to be other veterans, he felt comfortable enough to let his guard down and speak openly about issues and events that other veterans would understand. For example, Bir talks candidly about pillaging with his comrades. Their bounty included pies, a turkey, chickens, honey, and a calf. He recalls a southern woman pleading with him and his fellow soldiers not to take her calf because it was all she had. However, he confesses that the Union troops ignored the old woman's pleas, killed the animal, and carried it away while being pursued by Rebel troops. Obviously, Bir felt no guilt for his actions, nor, apparently, did he care if his audience viewed him negatively.	. . .