The Centum Diary: One Year in the Life of a Civil War Union Soldier, Freeman Woodman, As Presented in the Geneva Republican from January to December 1963
The Centum Diary captures the remarkable firsthand account of Freeman Woodman, a Union soldier with the 52nd Illinois Volunteer Infantry, as he served through the pivotal year of 1863 during the American Civil War.
Compiled exactly one hundred years later by his great-granddaughter, Gail Merrick Lee (now Gail Merrick (Murphy) Granger), and completed by her son, editor Montgomery J. Granger, this book reproduces the original newspaper series from The Geneva Republican that brought Freeman’s wartime diaries to light.
Freeman’s vivid writings reveal the harsh realities of a young soldier’s life – from bitterly cold camps and exhausting marches to his steadfast faith and moral convictions. He cared for his sick brother, found comfort in the Bible, and described daily hardships with unflinching honesty. His resourcefulness in foraging and his fascination with nature offer unique glimpses into how Union soldiers survived, especially during Sherman’s March to the Sea.
Through reflections by Gail Merrick Lee and editor Montgomery J. Granger, The Centum Diary connects past to present, showing how one man’s courage and dedication resonate across generations. This powerful, authentic portrait of sacrifice and resilience is a reminder of the fragile ideals our nation was founded upon and the enduring cost of freedom.
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Saving Grace at Guantanamo Bay: A Memoir of a Citizen Warrior
“Hard as it is to believe, one of the most significant stories of the post-9/11 age is also one of the least known—life at Gitmo, the detention facility for many of the world’s worst terrorists. Few individuals are more qualified to tell this story than Montgomery Granger, a citizen soldier, family man, dedicated educator, and Army Reserve medical officer involved in one of the most intriguing military missions of our time. Saving Grace at Guantanamo Bay is about that historic experience, and it relates not only what it was like for Granger to live and work at Gitmo, but about the sacrifices made by him and his fellow Reservists serving around the world.”
Andrew Carroll, editor of the New York Times bestsellers War Letters and Behind the Lines
Saving Grace at Guantanamo Bay, or “Gitmo: The Real Story,” is a “good history of medical, security, and intelligence aspects of Gitmo; also, it will be valuable for anyone assigned to a Gitmo-like facility.”
Jason Wetzel, Field Historian, Office of Army Reserve History
U.S. Army Reserve Captain Montgomery Granger found himself the ranking Army Medical Department officer in a joint military operation like no other before it – taking care of terrorists and murderers just months after the horrors of September 11, 2001. Granger and his fellow Reservists end up running the Joint Detainee Operations Group (JDOG) at Guantanamo Bay’s infamous Camp X-Ray. In this moving memoir, Granger writes about his feelings of guilt, leaving his family and job back home, while in Guantanamo, he faces a myriad of torturous emotions and self-doubt, at once hating the inmates he is nonetheless duty bound to care for and protect. Through long distance love, and much heartache, Granger finds a way to keep his sanity and dignity. Saving Grace at Guantanamo Bay is his story.
Guard tower at Camp X-Ray, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, January 2002. Green symbol in Arabic show detainees which direction to pray to Mecca.
Typical meal provided for detainees in the early days of the mission. Camp X-Ray, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, January 2002.
Army PA giving detainee intake physical exam, January, 2002, Camp X-Ray, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
International Committee of the Red Cross Swiss physicians who told me, “No one does [detention operations] better than the US.” Camp X-Ray, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, January 2002.
