Civil War Letters

Civil War Letters Home

• The first letter to a wife back home was written by J.C. Morris on May 10, 1863 to his wife Amanda. His letter starts with how he is so happy that he gets to write this letter but he is worried the letter will never be sent out. He then goes on to write about how much they have accomplished but also that he wants to be home with her and their kids. He closes his letter with how sorry he is about not being able to write more and he gives his best wishes to her.

• The second letter was written by William F. Testerman on July 25, 1864 to Miss Jane Davis. This letter starts with him saying how happy he is to be receiving a letter with her name at the bottom of it. He continues his letter saying that he cant wait to go home and see her. He ends his letter saying he need to go to sleep and he wishes for her to continue to write him.

• The third letter home was to Robert Bennett and was written by Sallie Leeper Scott on April 15 and 16th of 1865. On the first day, her letter begins with how happy she is to be writing him. She continues this letter by telling him he needs to take better care of himself while she's away. She ends this first letter with how she needs to sleep now but she will continue writing to him in the morning. She continues this writing the next morning, starting with she forgot to tell him about a letter from the president that she received. She ends this letter telling him that she will buy him the stamp he asked her to send him.

• The fourth letter was by Harvey Black on November 1, 1863 and he was writing to his wife Mary. His letter starts with a story about a girl he liked when he was 17 and how there was a large age gap between them. He continues by saying how happy this girl made him and how it was hard for him to concentrate during school because she was always on his mind. He ends his letter to her saying how he hopes he will always be enough for her and how he hopes she still loves him as much as she did when they were younger.

• The fifth letter was written by William Henry Ruse on May 7, 1863 to Maggie Stewart. This letter begins with him saying he appreciates her kind letter and how he wished he could see her as often as letters see each other. He continues his letter to her by saying how much she means to him and how he wants to be home with her but he will continue the war to the best of his ability. He ends his letter with telling her about the new surgeon and how he hopes to her from her soon.

• These civil war letters are all letters from soldiers or people involved in the war back home to loved ones. These letters written from 1863 to 1865 showcase to what degree these people missed their loved ones. They also show what they really wanted their loved ones to know in that exact moment during the war. Each of these letter touches on, if only briefly, how happy the writer is to be writing to the recipient.  A question that can be asked of these letters are did they ever right to their children back home.