Things Grew Beautifully Worse: The Wartime Experiences of Captain John O'Brien, 30th Arkansas Infantry, C.S.A.

A native of Ireland, John O'Brien heeded his adopted state's call and cast his lot with the Confederacy. Shortly after his enlistment he served in the Army of Tennessee. The diary begins prior to the battle of Murfreesboro, where he was captured. The confusion of battle, the ordeal of being in the hospital, and the uncertainty of life as a prisoner of war are all vividly portrayed.