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MORE THAN 600,000 soldiers lost their lives in the American Civil War. It has been estimated that twice as many of them died as the result of sickness than of gunshot wounds. Far beyond the fearsome bayonet or Minie ball, disease, dysentery, poor hygiene and woefully lacking sanitation threatened the soldier's life on a daily basis.

Army campsites were often more deadly than the battlefield, and diseases from this breeding ground for sickness often spilled over into the local civilian population. Contaminated water, spoiled rations and the inability to stay clean while on campaign added to the misery and suffering of all those caught up in the nation's conflict.

In addition to the obvious physical rigors of army life, psychological struggles such as depression wore heavily on the hearts and minds of some soldiers. These mental wounds often resulted in alcohol abuse, suicidal tendencies and severe longing for home and family.

Unfortunately, it is this brutally honest, yet disturbing perspective that is usually omitted from the historical narrative in favor of military tactics and political analysis. The result is a gap in the published recollections of the infantrymen, cavalrymen and artillerymen that made up the ranks of both armies, as well as the civilians, who also bore the residual pains of war.

As the war progressed, the quality of life for Confederate soldiers deteriorated at an alarming rate. By mid-1864, and through the early part of 1865, much of the South lay in ruins and those fighting on behalf of the Confederate States struggled to maintain a positive outlook for the future. Not surprisingly, descriptions of the sights, sounds and smells of suffering often found their way into written correspondence and memoirs.

It is these diaries, journals and letters home that provide the basis for Jeff Toalson's highly original work "No Soap, No Pay, Diarrhea, Dysentery & Desertion."

In addition to boasting the best title for a book that this reviewer has ever read, Toalson's contribution to Civil War history has opened the door to a far-too-neglected subject, the day-to-day strife of the common soldier and his constant challenge to remain alive in the most nauseating of circumstances.

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