LETTERS FROM THE BATTLEFIELD
In the camps, disease was a death-seeking attacker. With not enough food, Civil War camps were miserable places. In the soldiers’ personal time, many wrote letters to family members.
Written by Brian Mackay
Written by Brian Mackay
Due to advancement in mail delivery, mailing and receiving letters to
and from the frontline became more prevelent, and was a reliable network tool. Through letters, the Washington men who served were able to keep in touch with their loved ones. Some soldiers would reassure their families and friends of their safety while others were brutally honest in describing their exposer to the violence and hardships.
Envelope from a letter to Dwight Hollister
Letters allowed the soldiers to remain connected to their beloved
hometown as well. Many soldiers sought to find out news from Washington in order to regain a sense of normalcy. It also providied a means for exchanging information on the welfare of other Washingtonian soldiers on the battlefields as soldiers would write to mutual friends and to each other, preserving a sense of community. These letters provide valuable insight into the individual
soldier's experience and his opinions of the war and its cause.
soldier's experience and his opinions of the war and its cause.
Top, left to right: Fitz Greene Hollister and Simeon Calhoun;
Bottom, left to right: Samuel J. Nettleton and Dwight Hollister
