Seth Taft reads from the letters of Mair Pointon, a member of the 6th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry and part of the Iron Brigade. A soldier's journey tells the story of courage, resolve, new understandings and humanity in the face of the inhumanity of war. Mair began his Civil War service as a volunteer in May 1861 and mustered out at the end of the war in July 1865. He recalls the battles of Antietam, Gettysburg, and Spotsylvania.

The Battle of Antietam took place on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history with around 23,000 casualties. The Union forces, led by General George McClellan, clashed with the Confederate army under General Robert E. Lee. Despite the high casualties, the battle ended inconclusively, although it forced Lee to retreat back to Virginia, giving President Lincoln the opportunity to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.

The Battle of Gettysburg occurred from July 1 to 3, 1863, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was a turning point in the Civil War, often considered the Union’s greatest victory. General George Meade led the Union forces against General Robert E. Lee’s Confederates. The battle resulted in approximately 50,000 casualties and is known for Pickett's Charge, a failed Confederate assault on the Union center on the final day. The Confederate defeat at Gettysburg forced Lee to retreat, ending his second invasion of the North and dashing Confederate hopes for a military victory on Union soil.

The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House was fought from May 8 to 21, 1864, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, during the Overland Campaign. The battle was part of the larger struggle between Union General Ulysses S. Grant and Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The fighting at Spotsylvania was characterized by its brutal hand-to-hand combat and trench warfare tactics. Despite heavy casualties on both sides, neither army achieved a clear victory. The battle ended inconclusively but marked another step towards the ultimate defeat of the Confederacy.