We have it damn hard out here

Told in his own words, this is the story of Sgt. Thomas W. Smith's service in the Civil War - the greatest adventure of his life. It is also the story of his regiment, the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry, known as Rush's Lancers, named both for the distinctive wooden lances they carried for the first two years of the war and for their first commanding officer, Col. Richard H. Rush. Tested in battle, this regiment ultimately proved to be one of the elite cavalry units on either side of the conflict.

These sixty-seven letters provide rare insight into the workings and daily life of a noncommissioned officer. They are filled with humor and humanity and demonstrate the hardships withstood by the common soldier of the Civil War. The added narrative and annotations assist the reader in identifying the persons and events described and in placing them in the proper historical perspective and context.