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Brothers' War: Civil War Letters to Their Loved Ones from the Blue and Gray
90 uncensored letters humanize the war from the ground up, dramatize its personal impact and reveal the moral certitude of each side. Rare archival photos.
242 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 27, 2024
My great, great, great grandpa was in the Civil War so I thought this would be a good way to find out some possible things he'd gone through.
I liked that there were letters from both the Union & Confederate sides - giving a more full picture of the war itself. It seemed the common theme throughout may of the letters was how much it rained & how the soldiers suffered from lack of proper clothing, tents, shoes & socks. How hard it must have been to be stressed out, soaked & freezing & yet keep from getting sick in those conditions.
I also thought a few of the letters basically portrayed a sampling of the population - both back then & also of today. Some of the soldiers were up-beat & positive despite the hardships, while some seemed like sniveling, self absorbed souls. One letter stuck out to me to be written by the later kind. In it he seemed to be passive-aggressively writing to his wife about how hard he had it (and she was probably leading a "stress-free" life while he was away), how he hoped she was disciplining their child in his absence because he'd probably die & she would remarry & their child wouldn't have someone as good as he was to help raise the child!
On the other hand, there were letters to wives from supportive husbands telling that wished the best for their wives in regards to their safety & well-being. How the soldiers didn't want their wives to worry.
Sadly, it was noted when one of the letter writers were killed sometime after writing their letters. There were even a few letters in which the writer had another sibling in the war & where both boys were eventually killed.
It was also hart-warming in which some of the writers told of the compassion each side had with the other side when taking prisoners of war. Of course this wasn't always the case - but a few of the stories brought home how horrible it must have been for the men to fight other human beings that normally they'd have no grudge with. They treated the prisoner with the utmost respect & down-right love. There were the opposite stories though of soldiers stealing from the dead (and not just the shoes, socks & warmer clothing - but family photos & important papers.
Some of the letters were not written where they could be easily read, but for the most part, many of the letters were written well & were easy to follow.
I of course highlighted sections in the book that I wanted to remember (I'm a genealogist - and the information will help me in my research or may help me write a book about my ancestors someday). I also took notes in the margins (think that may make me a geek!) so I can more easily refer back to the details.
I liked that there were letters from both the Union & Confederate sides - giving a more full picture of the war itself. It seemed the common theme throughout may of the letters was how much it rained & how the soldiers suffered from lack of proper clothing, tents, shoes & socks. How hard it must have been to be stressed out, soaked & freezing & yet keep from getting sick in those conditions.
I also thought a few of the letters basically portrayed a sampling of the population - both back then & also of today. Some of the soldiers were up-beat & positive despite the hardships, while some seemed like sniveling, self absorbed souls. One letter stuck out to me to be written by the later kind. In it he seemed to be passive-aggressively writing to his wife about how hard he had it (and she was probably leading a "stress-free" life while he was away), how he hoped she was disciplining their child in his absence because he'd probably die & she would remarry & their child wouldn't have someone as good as he was to help raise the child!
On the other hand, there were letters to wives from supportive husbands telling that wished the best for their wives in regards to their safety & well-being. How the soldiers didn't want their wives to worry.
Sadly, it was noted when one of the letter writers were killed sometime after writing their letters. There were even a few letters in which the writer had another sibling in the war & where both boys were eventually killed.
It was also hart-warming in which some of the writers told of the compassion each side had with the other side when taking prisoners of war. Of course this wasn't always the case - but a few of the stories brought home how horrible it must have been for the men to fight other human beings that normally they'd have no grudge with. They treated the prisoner with the utmost respect & down-right love. There were the opposite stories though of soldiers stealing from the dead (and not just the shoes, socks & warmer clothing - but family photos & important papers.
Some of the letters were not written where they could be easily read, but for the most part, many of the letters were written well & were easy to follow.
I of course highlighted sections in the book that I wanted to remember (I'm a genealogist - and the information will help me in my research or may help me write a book about my ancestors someday). I also took notes in the margins (think that may make me a geek!) so I can more easily refer back to the details.
May 20, 2019
It should read "Civil War Letters"
September 22, 2013
Really enjoyed the focus on soldiers of both sides as themselves, as people. Some of them felt strongly about their cause, but all of them yearned for their loved ones.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews