Carl Schurz was born in Germany in the early 19th century. In his late teens and into his early 20s, Schurz took and active role in the German Revolutions of 1848 that attempted to unify the country and institute representative government. He eventually came to the U.S., where he became a general in the Union Army in the American Civil War, then a congressman, and finally Secretary of the Interior!

This second volume of Schurz's memoirs covers the period from his arrival in the U.S. in 1852 in his early 20s, through his participation as a Union general in the disastrous (for the Union) Battle of Chancellorville.

Shortly upon coming to America, Schurz, as a German who had recently taken active part in the failed revolutionary attempts to gain more democracy in the German states, was fascinated and exhilarated by the American democratic experiment. Through family connections, Schurz made his way to Wisconsin, home to a large German community. And through his status as a European freedom fighter, he gained access quickly to the upper reaches of American government. He soon became an active speaker in the anti-slavery movement and soon came to the notice of the leaders of the newly formed Republican Party.

There are many fascinating events described, and Schurz's first-hand descriptions of the leading politicians of the day, including Stephen Douglas, Lincoln and Seward, are fascinating. Schurz tells of sitting and speaking with Lincoln on a train ride on the way to one of the Lincoln-Douglas debates, for example, relates many of the conversations he had with Lincoln in the White House during the Lincoln presidency. One or two letters from Lincoln to Schurz are included intact, as well.

Once the Civil War began, Schurz was sent to Spain to act as the American ambassador to the Spanish court, assigned to try to keep his finger on the pulse of European sentiment about the war. Schurz felt strongly that the commercial and monarch-supporting interests in England and France especially would support the Confederacy. As a strong anti-slavery man, Schurz urged Lincoln, to make the war about the slavery issue rather than about keeping the Union together, reasoning that making the war about abolishing slavery was 1) the right thing to do and 2) the best way to get public sentiment in Europe so firmly on the side of the North that European rules wouldn't dare take any overt pro-South action.

However, Schurz also provides Lincoln's clear and forceful response regarding the political necessity of waiting for the right time to change strategy in that way. Fascinating stuff.

Schurz finally convinced Lincoln that his work in Spain was done and won his suit to be allowed to join the Union Army. He was instantly made a Brigadier General (and Schurz describes nicely why making civilians instant officers was a common practice). His first-hand accounts of some of the Union Army's horrendous early disasters makes heartbreaking reading. But also, his insider accounts of how the Union Army operated and how decisions were made are fascinating.

Schurz, writing his memoirs around 1900, was of course looking back over 40-50 years of time. He seems to have been an active journal keeper, but nevertheless we must assume that at least some of his memories may be affected (he admits as much, himself), and that he is also providing a subjective personal account rather than a more objective "historical" one. Nevertheless, on a whole I found this volume quite interesting, and fun to read as well.