Practicing Medicine in a Black Regiment ─ The Civil War Diary of Burt G. Wilder, 55th Massachusetts

Reid (history, U. of Guelph, Canada) presents the Civil War diary of Burt G. Wilder, a Harvard-educated doctor-in-training, who was one of the first white officers in the 55th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, which consisted of black soldiers. Written from 1863 to 1965, the diary gives information on his life as a surgeon, Civil War medicine, his experiences in a black regiment, the experiences of the black soldiers, the role of music, and issues like manual labor vs. combat and discrimination in terms of equipment, pay, status, and medical care, as well as the role of the regiment in the campaign around Charleston and in Florida. The introduction describes the context of the war, African American troops, and Wilder's life and career, including how he later became a social activist. Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Richard M. Reid is professor of history, University of Guelph, and author of Freedom for Themselves: Black North Carolina Soldiers and Their Families in the Civil War.