George Alfred Townsend was a well-respected journalist in late 19th century America. He was one of the youngest reporters to cover the Civil War for the New York Herald in 1862. Towsend accompanied the Army of the Potomac during the Peninsula Campaign and narrowly escaped capture while suffering from camp fever.  Later, he joined John Pope's army and witnessed the Battle of Cedar Mountain. In April 1865, using the pen name "GATH," he became the first correspondent to report on the Union victory at Five Forks for the New York World. 

Following the end of the war, Townsend released his memoir titled "Campaigns of a Non-Combatant." This updated version of Townsend's memoir has been annotated and indexed, providing readers with a comprehensive understanding of the people he encountered and the incidents he recounted. Moreover, this edition includes numerous illustrations that were not present in the original 1866 publication. 

Through Townsend's narrative, readers are offered a captivating and dramatic tale of the conflict, as seen through the eyes of a young, energetic, and ambitious man who witnesses the events of a lifetime. The memories of the characters never left the journalist, and he later erected the War Correspondents Memorial Arch near the old South Mountain Battlefield in Maryland to honor his fellow correspondents.