Chuck, you have the absolute right of it on all points. One must remember also that Wiley Britton lost two brothers in the war and his father was nearly killed several times. Additionally he was wounded himself, though I am still unsure when that was. This would leave a lasting effect on any young man who survived that war. His big plus, I feel, is that his style of writing is that of someone who gives us excellent visualization of events as he saw them happen. It is sad that his diaries of 62 and 64 were lost.