Was it for the best?

[**The following is from the Civil War diary of Samuel Clear, a Union soldier.**] >*Friday, March 5th – Manchester* >[…] >It is just one year to day since we struck the first lick of the campaign to capture Richmond at the wilderness (“Evening of May 5th, 1864”). Was she worth the powder, and the lives lost, was it for the best, who can tell, not me I declare. I feel so good now, I think I would do it over again. But how many brave boys are laying by the wayside. Echo answers how many. 76 men that does not answer at Roll call, 14 Enlisted Men and 2 Co officers respond and answer to Their names, as we drop off to sleep I feel very sad. ____________________________ **Source:** Chisholm, Daniel, et al. “Diary.” *The Civil War Notebook of Daniel Chisholm: A Chronicle of Daily Life in the Union Army, 1864-1865*. Ballantine Books, 1990. 85. Print.