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Diary of a Christian Soldier: Rufus Kinsley and the Civil War. By David C. Rankin. (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004. Pp. 296. Cloth, $30.00.)
David C. Rankin's Diary of a Christian Soldier: Rufiis Kinsley and the Civil War is a welcome burst of fresh air among the many edited and annotated diaries. Diary of a Christian Soldier is remarkable for several reasons. Kinsley served along the Gulf Coast, mainly in Mississippi and Louisiana, and edited papers from this theater are few and far between. Also, Kinsley viewed slavery as a mortal sin and took seriously the injunction that all men were created equal in the sight of God. When nominated for a commission as an officer of United States Colored Troops, Kinsley accepted and proudly served in that capacity throughout the remainder of the war.
In the first part of Diary of a Christian Soldier, Rankin examines Kinsley's life with a biographical portrait. He shows how annotated letters and diaries can be placed within...