Final Project Write Up: Civil War Accounts

When I think of "lost voices", I think of people I have never heard of before. People who no one knows and have lived their literary lives in the shadows of big-name authors. "Lost voices" could also be those who never considered themselves as authors or even as contributors to literature of any era.

Well, it just so happens that I believe anyone who writes a letter or a diary/journal is, actually, making a contribution to literature--especially in the 19th century when everything was was taken down on paper. The correspondences and accounts of individuals during the American Civil War shone out at me and beckoned to be explored. Surprisingly, there are enormous databases of Civil War letters to be found on the World Wide Web and it was therefore not very difficult to get my eyes on them. However, the content and subjects of these letters ranged just as any modern-day email might. From teen-age gossip to final letters home before a deadly battle, daily lives of 19th century folk can be explored in depth.

During my search for interesting accounts, I waded through dull and poorly written letters; like a soldier's routine letter home--blathering on about how he couldn't shine his brass buttons anymore or how the rations were gradually decreasing in amount. Or perhaps a woman writing to her husband and informing him his horse now had a limp because it had sprained its leg in a rodent hole---mundane stuff, really: be careful when you try and find interesting and impactful Civil War-account material. But find some, I did.

Perhaps the most profound letter that I came across was one from a soldier to his wife and children. He feels death creeping up on him and takes the opportunity to write his last thoughts and fond wishes to his family. This story was very touching and I recommend it to many-- especially Pfouts (be careful--it holds potential to be a tear-jerker). Read here, Sullivan Ballou’s Last Letter.

On a lighter note, there were a few comical pieces I found and added to my collection. Dear Hattie was a comical letter from a young soldier who posted a false advertisement in the equivalent of the personal adds in a 19th century "Lonely Hearts" magazine. Apparently he got a response from a young woman and then responded to the lassie (in this "Dear Hattie" letter). An enjoyable read and readers can get a good sense of what some of the young men's values were...in terms of their female companions. I enjoy these letters because they are such personal windows into peoples daily lives. I wonder if any of them ever thought their letters would be compiled with others and stuck onto the Internet---*inconceivable*(the man from Princess Bride!). Another lighter piece I stumbled upon is a type of fond love letter from a miss Sallie Seeper to her dearest one (or so I believe). This was interesting to me because it was, in a sense, a typical report back to the one she cared about and the way it was written was almost more exciting than the actual content. There are a few blanks spots where the transcriber failed to decipher the penmanship, but everything else is recorded as originally written--spelling mistakes, indentations, symbols and all.

Many of the accounts which I found were inspiring because of what some of the writers went through in this tumultuous period of war--and to see how they are living their lives as a result of the war and how the war has touched them/changed them. I believe it is important to recognize the experiences and lives of these individuals--their lives will call you to look into the "lost voice" accounts of others during the Civil War and then to other historical events. Because they are "lost" or "smaller" than the big names, they are delicate and secret--almost more important than the mainstream authors. These men and women were real and told it like it was: raw.

Some neat places to look for more Civil War accounts:
Love Letters of the Civil War
American Civil War Collection Etext
Letters From the Past