When you study the Civil War, it’s easy to learn about the glory; politicians and generals fill pages with speeches and reports. But to find the reality for the individual soldiers is much more difficult. Photography in the 1860s was relatively new and required the subject to stay still, so photos of the time are mostly staged or of the dead. That leaves letters and journals as the best source.

As April 1864 ended, the 15th New Jersey Regiment was part of the Army of the Potomac under the command of Gen.