Voices From the Past: Civil War-Soldiers’ Letters and Diaries
Indiana Magazine of History www.indiana.edu/~imaghist/online_content/ vcsfrmpst/voices_cvlwr/index.html
Voices From the Past: Civil War Soldiers’ Letters and Diaries, hosted by the Indiana Magazine of History, shares article-length full transcriptions of wartime letters and diaries of Union soldiers from Western regiments, usually from Indiana and Kentucky, that previously appeared in the magazine. In some cases the collections are so large that they’re published in serial-style over four issues. But in perusing nearly 60 publications, site visitors can learn in which regiment the man served and his length of service, and read an abstract of the article along with excerpts of some of the best material. Then users can click on “article” to read the full transcription and editorial commentary.
These are fascinating: detailed descriptions of the fighting at Antietam, Stones River, Gettysburg and elsewhere. Some of the men are impressed with African-American Union soldiers, while others are disgusted by emancipation and the sense of equality that they fear black military service promotes. In one case a 14-year-old boy describes the burning of Columbia, S.C., while in another a man writes home about the discovery of a female soldier in their ranks. There are brutal descriptions of Union soldiers killing Confederate prisoners, Confederates killing civilians and a father explaining to his young son how the soldiers will shoot or “cut Secessionists heads off.”
Readers may want to click on the link at the top of the home page, “Complete List of Site Contents,” to browse through the abstracts before diving into the sources. Whatever the approach, visitors are definitely in for a treat.
Originally published in the October 2013 issue of Civil War Times. To subscribe, click here.
