Historians take a bird’s eye view of the past, while eyewitnesses can bring the story down to earth. “This Day We Marched Again” is culled from the diary of a Wisconsin farmer from Sheboygan County who enlisted in the Civil War. As the war continued and conscription was introduced, Wisconsin was the site of rioting and upheaval, but enthusiasm was genuine at the beginning for “putting down the rebellion.” Jacob Haas was an immigrant who recorded his thoughts in German. His odyssey began in a makeshift camp in the cold and snow of the Milwaukee shoreline and wound its way through the campaigns west of the Mississippi. Among the most memorable passages are Haas’ accounts of towns deserted by residents fleeing the war. Historian Mark K. Christ added annotations to the English translation of Haas’ journal, shedding light on the context of his thoughts.
