His personal observations and diary entries formed the basis for one of the earliest classic accounts of the Gettysburg Campaign during the American Civil War.
During the early part of the American Civil War, he assisted in caring for the wounded from the Battle of Antietam in the autumn of 1862.
As the Confederate Army began invading the town in late June 1863, he had an excellent vantage point from which he could observe and watch the movements of the Southern soldiers.
During the summer of 1864, he again was in a position to witness the Civil War in his hometown when much of Chambersburg was burned by Confederate cavalrymen commanded by John McCausland, who operated under the orders of Maj. Gen. Jubal A.
Published in Dayton, Ohio, the book has become a standard reference work for a first-hand account of the two Confederate incursions into south-central Pennsylvania.