Book excerpt: Written during the civil war from 1862 until 1865, the diary of Private Henry Albert Strong, Company K, Twelfth Kansas Infantry, provides a rare record of the experiences and observations of a Western Federal Infantryman. Strong witnessed the effects of bushwhacking, participated in battles and skirmishes, made long marches, survived disease in camp, and still found ways to handle the boredom of camp life. Strong's writing supports many previously documented facts concerning soldier life while debunking some myths about troops in the West.