February 8, 1864
Today’s letter has some of the most detailed writing of the whole collection. Abbott apparently had quite a bit he wanted to tell the family about! Before I get into the particulars regarding his recent travels and fighting, I thought I’d point out the part of the letter that was most striking to me. During this letter, Abbott mentions how he spent his recent 21st birthday. I think it’s easy to forget how young he actually was during the war. Oftentimes, he comes across in the letters has being an old soul and wise beyond his years. But he was very young and was about the same age as I am now. I can’t even begin to imagine living his life at twenty-one. He had probably already experienced far more than people much older than him ever would. The rest of the letter is essentially Abbott recounting various tidbits of information regarding his experiences since he last corresponded with the family. He frequently mentions small engagements with Confederate forces. I tried to look up whether or not this was common but had a hard time finding any information about minor skirmishes. It would make sense for them to occur, since not every battle was going to be a major, decisive fight. I’m sure the two sides encountered each other frequently along the roads as well. However, I understand it is only natural that the information that comes up when searching for Civil War battles is related to the more well-known battles, like Antietam or Gettysburg. I’m sure that it is next to impossible to know how many little fights occurred on an everyday basis. Again, Abbott’s recollections show their value here, as he sheds light on the fact that on any given day, one could find themselves engaged in a battle, big or small. He closes the letter in a fashion that is quite typical for a person of his age. He remarks to his sisters that in their previous letter, they mentioned a girl named Mollie. It seems like his sisters believed she was in love with Abbott and were imploring him to help them convince her that he liked her in return. But Abbott firmly states that he has no such feelings for her anymore and is confident that she feels the same. I just thought that this was a very relatable part of the letter as people today obviously fret over relationships and how others feel about them. It shows that no matter what era you live in, there are still some things that stay the same over the course of history.
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October 6, 1864
At the beginning of the letter, Abbott mentions that his regiment had recently left Chattanooga to stop Confederate leader Forrest from cutting railroad lines between Chattanooga and Nashville. While this is really the only time he mentions it in the letter, destruction of railroad lines was an important enough tactic during the war that I thought it merited a post! For example, as Union soldiers moved into the South, they proceeded to tear up rails “by pulling them up, heating them until they could bend” and then wrapped them around trees. This type of rail track destruction was called “Sherman’s Neckties,” named after General William T. Sherman. This would seem to be a highly effective way to tear apart railroad tracks. The goal here was to prevent the rails from being repaired. Sherman apparently said merely bending the rails would not be sufficient: “Officers should be instructed that bars simply bent may be used again.” By twisting them while still hot, they would be rendered unusable. It’s a pretty clever way to ensure that Southern railroad lines would not be in proper working order. These “neckties” became a defining symbol of Sherman’s March to the Sea, as he left devastating destruction throughout Georgia in his wake. This bit of trivia is something that I’d never heard about until I started trying to find information regarding railroads during the war. The I.M. Abbott collection is cool in this way because it allows for better understanding of soldiers’ lives and personal insight into major battles, but also leads to discovering other interesting facts. I probably never would have learned about “Sherman’s neckties” if I hadn’t been working my way through the collection! Works Cited: The Civil War Trust: Saving America’s Civil War Battlefields. “Railroads of the Confederacy." http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/warfare-and-logistics/logistics/railroads.html (accessed March 19, 2014). About North Georgia, "Sherman's Neckties." http://www.aboutnorthgeorgia.com/ang/Sherman%27s_Neckties (accessed March 21, 2014). Photo Credit: wikipedia.org Civil War Daily Gazette. "Jeb Stuart Begins His Raid into Pennsylvania." http://civilwardailygazette.com/2012/10/09/jeb-stuart-begins-his-raid-into-pennsylvania/ (accessed March 21, 2014). March 5, 1865 The part of this letter that most stood out to me was a comment made by Abbott in respect to hospitals that speaks of the larger conflict as a whole. He says, “but a hospital here and one in the states are different institutions entirely.” At this point, Abbott is in Chattanooga, clearly still in the South. What’s interesting to pay attention to is the fact that he says a hospital in the South is completely different from one in the states (emphasis on "states" here). I think it’s commonly known that the northern United States and the Confederacy were viewed as separate entities during the war but it’s still striking to see it stated so plainly. Despite the fact that these two parts really were one big country, and had been until very recently, no longer mattered. It does seem that Abbott views the southern states as not being in the United States. It’s interesting to consider that Union soldiers didn’t consider themselves to be in the United States anymore when they were in places like Tennessee or Georgia. Again, this is something I knew about before, yet it is definitely strange to think about. Imagine going to Florida or Texas and needing a passport? Indeed, the two halves of the country really were opposite cultures from one another. The South was overwhelmingly agricultural (one of the reasons why slavery was still viewed as a valuable institution there) and had very few industrial areas. On the flip side, the North featured far more industrial centers and factories. Slavery was nonexistent with a large part of the labor force being European immigrants. Northerners typically held careers in such areas as “business, medicine, or education.” Additionally, these children were more likely to go to school than their Southern counterparts. Now, this is just my thought, but it really does appear that the North was progressing more satisfactorily than the South, which seemed very much stuck in the past. One of the biggest differences, and one that we frequently read about in Abbott’s letters, is that of the railroad. Around 35% of the United States’ railroad tracks were in the South pre-Civil War. This is consistent with the fact that the North was more industrialized, since it would have more need to utilize trains to transport products. Abbott frequently talks about pulling up railroad lines in the South as well as how important trains were in transporting soldiers. With almost ¾ of the country’s tracks in the North, the Union army certainly had a significant advantage over the South, especially in terms of weapons production (with the factories) and transportation of supplies and troops. It is definitely weird to think about how different the two parts of the country were during the Civil War. It is true today that there are differences between the various parts of the United States. But I don’t think they are as extreme as they were during the Civil War. The North and South were viewed as completely different cultures, whereas today the different cultural regions in the U.S. are all viewed to comprise an overall United States culture. The image I’ve included is a chart from the Civil War Trust website comparing the North and South in a few different ways. I thought it was a good example of the stark contrasts between the two halves. Works Cited/Photo Credit: The Civil War Trust: Saving America’s Civil War Battlefields. “North and South: Different Cultures, Same Country.” http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/civil-war-overview/northandsouth.html (accessed March 19, 2014). November 26, 1864 Today’s letter has a couple of interesting bits mentioned by Abbott that are connected to the larger history of the war in general but I chose to focus on one that references a future battle. Right at the end of the letter, Abbott tells his sister that he expects his regiment to head out soon “to reinforce Gen’l. Thomas at Pulaski.” I looked up Thomas to see what he was up to at this point and I feel fairly confident that his position was a catalyst for what would be known as the Second Battle of Franklin. This battle took place on November 30, 1864, four days after this letter was written. It is therefore reasonable to surmise that this is connected to the letter and Abbott's regiment would be called on. Upon some further digging, I discovered that Thomas and 25,000 Union soldiers were besieged in Nashville. Therefore, perhaps Abbott’s regiment, and others, were needed to offer them support. This is definitely connected to the Second Battle of Franklin, as Union General John Schofield was racing to Nashville with his Army of the Ohio to help out. At the same time, Confederate General John Bell Hood was also scurrying to Nashville in an attempt to threaten the Union’s “supply base at Nashville.” The details leading up to the actual confrontation at Franklin are too numerous to include in this post, so I would encourage you to check out the link below to learn more! I’ll instead jump right to the battle itself. The battle was a full frontal assault across open ground, with the Union armies firmly “behind three lines of breastworks and abates.” The Confederate soldiers began to be torn down immediately but kept pressing onwards, with fighting eventually turning into man-to-man combat. Soldiers fought each other “with shovels, bayonets, sabers, and pistols.” Again, this is a really interesting battle that included quite a bit of different tactics occurring at once. It would be difficult to concisely summarize everything here, so check out the link! In the end, the Union emerged victorious. There were a total of roughly 8,600 casualties between the two sides, with about 6,000 coming from the Confederate side. This battle was pretty evenly matched, with each side possessing around 30,000 soldiers each. Really, the outcome could have gone either way. While the Confederate Army of the Tennessee was “decimated” at this time, it did not stop Hood from pursuing Schofield to Nashville. Indeed, we’ll meet these generals again at the Battle of Nashville, which will be discussed in the next blog post. Works Cited: The Civil War Trust: Saving America’s Civil War Battlefields. “Franklin.” http://www.civilwar.org/battlefield/franklin.html?tab=facts (accessed March 19, 2014). Photo Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Franklin_(1864) June 16, 1863
This letter is from Mark to Roe, who is still in the hospital. It sounds like Roe is on the mend though Mark reminds him not to rush his recovery because if he falls sick again, he’ll have a much harder time getting well the second time around. The weather must have been pretty uncomfortable at the time as Mark mentions the heat a few different times throughout the letter. Indeed, on average Tennessee summers are hot and rainy. I found some data online about June weather in Nashville, TN. While Abbott is currently in Murfreesboro at the time of this letter, it’s reasonable to assume that the weather is pretty similar. In recent times, the daily temperatures fluctuate from 82 degrees Fahrenheit to 88 degrees. It is typically humid as well during this month, with humidity ranging from 47%-91%. Mark does say that they have been able to find some shade, though it apparently did not offer too much relief as he tells Roe, “as I write sitting here in the shade the sweat is just fairly running right out of me.” It is true that perhaps the weather averages have fluctuated a bit in the past 150 years but today’s averages still give a rough estimate of what weather was like during the Civil War. It would’ve been miserable to drill and fight in high temperatures and humidity. According to the Civil War Trust, a Union soldier’s uniform consisted of trousers, some sort of dress coat or jacket, a hat with a visor, a wool flannel shirt, underwear, and socks. Now, I don’t know about you, but I certainly would not want to wear flannel on a humid day. I’m sure that some of the soldiers took off layers as they went but that would mean one more thing for them to carry. Really, with the combination of the uniforms and weather, travel in June (and probably the summer months in general) surely was very uncomfortable. Works Cited: The Civil War Trust: Saving America’s Civil War Battlefields. “Two Week Curriculum for Teaching the Civil War, Bluebellies and Butternuts: Civil War Uniforms.” http://www.civilwar.org/education/pdfs/civil-war-curriculum-uniforms.pdf (accessed March 10, 2014). WeatherSpark. “Average Weather in June for Nashville, Tennessee, USA.” http://weatherspark.com/averages/29787/6/Nashville-Tennessee-United-States (accessed March 10, 2014). August 20, 1888
John Abbott wrote today’s letter to Isaac Mark Abbott. As mentioned in the previous post, John became an attorney following the war and has set up a practice in Lebanon, Indiana. This is what the majority of the letter talks about. John seems fairly excited at the fact that Lebanon is growing and flourishing. I looked up some information about Lebanon because I had definitely never heard of it! The city was founded on April 30, 1830, so it actually was still in its early stages when John lived there. It was founded by two men from Indianapolis, General James Perry Drake and Colonel George L. Kinnard. According to the city’s official website, they were both “progressive community builders” and “shrewd developers and speculators.” I found this relevant to John’s letter because he talks about new projects that have recently been undertaken by Lebanon. I think they show that this spirit of growth continued to thrive even after the founding years. In 1888, John proudly states that Lebanon is home to a “fine central school building,” consisting of ten rooms, along with a library. It also has four large churches, thirteen saloons, and five drug stores. However, John is most excited by the rapid development of gravel roads. The county had at this time over 280 miles of “free pike” (which seems to be similar to toll roads/pikeways today) and he believes more will quickly be built since taxes on the existing roads will help finance new roadways. He really does seem to like gravel roads: “Then the advantages of gravel roads have become so apparent the Supervisors put in the entire road labor and road tax in graveling the other roads.” John asserts that it won’t be too long before all the roads in the area will be graveled, stating, “As it is now, we can go almost anywhere in the county, at any time of year, in a buggy…” This is in comparison to dirt roads, which became unusable in inclement weather. I think that paved roads are something we take for granted. I certainly don’t frequently think about what I would do if I couldn’t drive somewhere because rains had turned the road to mud. Such exciting developments prompted John to say that Lebanon is “a splendid place of residence.” Today, the city’s website describes its “solid education system which excels in both academics and sports.” Just think, John was excited about a ten-room schoolhouse in 1888 and now, nearly 150 years later, it seems the school district is doing quite well. Additionally, the website talks about “new growth opportunities” and how important they are to the city’s future. Clearly, building and improving the city has always been a priority! I personally feel like it’s a neat opportunity to be able to read a Lebanon’s citizen’s account of the city in 1888 and then compare it to today’s descriptions. John seems to have loved living there, judging by his approval of its continued improvements and Lebanon definitely appears to still be doing well today! Works Cited: City of Lebanon. “Lebanon Indiana, The Friendly City.” http://www.cityoflebanon.org/index.cfm (accessed March 10, 2014). August 20, 1864 I acknowledge that today’s letter covers the exact same material as that of August 19, 1864 :) However, this letter was written by Mark to his whole family, not Roe, so it has slightly different information. Also, it is far shorter and less-detailed than the one he sent the day before. He just gives a quick overview of the Second Battle of Dalton’s main components. I decided to still do a post on it though and talk about Tunnel Hill, something mentioned in both letters. In his letter, Abbott says that his regiment rode the rails as far as Tunnel Hill, where it was then deemed inadvisable to continue by train, as it was only seven miles from their destination of Dalton. They ended up walking the rest of the way but I decided that we’d stay at Tunnel Hill and learn a bit about its connection to the war. Tunnel Hill saw quite a bit of action during the war. It’s probably most famous for what has been named “The Great Locomotive Chase” in 1862. Quite a bit happened during this event, so I’ll do my best to write a summary. Otherwise, follow the hyperlink to get a more thorough telling of the tale! The basic gist of the Great Locomotive Chase is that a man named James J. Andrews, along with a group of Union spies, stole a train called the General that was stopped at a Confederate Camp while its passengers and crew were eating at a nearby hotel. The goal of this group was “to travel up to Chattanooga, Tennessee, in an attempt to cause as much damage as possible to the Western & Atlantic Railroad by destroying telegraph wires and as much of the railroad itself along their path.” Though they were successful in cutting some wires and uprooting sections of the railroad track, the spies were ultimately caught before reaching Chattanooga. This was a fun bit of trivia that I hadn’t heard before! I actually had a pretty hard time finding specific information about battles that occurred at this site. It definitely is near some of the battles Abbott participated in, such as the Battle of Chickamauga discussed in this letter and the previous one. What I did find is that the city of Tunnel Hill does a “Battle of Tunnel Hill Civil War Reenactment” every year the weekend after Labor Day. The event includes events such as a daily battle reenactment, tours of the railroad tunnel itself and chances to interact with the reenactor. If you want to learn more about this annual event, google “Tunnel Hill” and you’ll find information on the event! This link, for example, takes you to information for 2013’s reenactment: http://www.tennesseerivervalleygeotourism.org/content/battle-of-tunnel-hill-civil-war-reenactment/ten39C7A3101E5721F10. Works Cited: East Tennessee River Valley Geotourism MapGuide. “Festival Event: Battle of Tunnel Hill Civil War Reenactment.” National Geographic Society. http://www.tennesseerivervalleygeotourism.org/content/battle-of-tunnel-hill-civil-war-reenactment/ten39C7A3101E5721F10 (accessed March 10, 2014). The Southern Museum (In Association with the Smithsonian Institution). “The General Locomotive and the Great Locomotive Chase.” http://www.southernmuseum.org/exhibits/the-general/ (accessed March 7, 2014). Photo Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DCP_0909WandA.JPG November 22, 1863 Today’s letter is written by Isaac Mark to his sister Becca. He begins by telling her that he promises to fulfill her request and write a long letter to her. Most of it is personal anecdotes from home, such as their brother Hiram hoping Mark could get a furlough to come home for Christmas. I chose to focus on a brief mention of General Hooker, who was one of the leaders of the Union forces. Though Abbott only talks about him for a few lines, his comments are pretty great, so I thought it would be interesting to look up some information about Hooker. Towards the end of the letter, Abbott comments that a leading general was at his fort, so naturally he went to look. I included the entirety of Abbott’s comments about encountering Hooker, since I don’t think paraphrasing in this case would do his thoughts justice: “Yesterday old Gen’l Hooker and Stuff were up here at our fort and I went out and stood in the rain about an hour waiting for him to come out so that I could get a squint at him. He came out finally and tell you he is a rare beauty…he is an older man than I had thought he was for his whiskers were as white as wool. But he is a keen looking old fellow and he has given the Rebs good reason to hate the looks of him as much as I did.” Here’s a fun fact: Hooker really wasn’t that old- he was actually only forty-nine. But to a twenty-one year old Abbott, it’s realistic that he would look pretty ancient! This is perhaps one of my favorite quotes from Abbott’s letters. It’s honest, fun, and it isn’t common to read about Civil War leaders from a soldier’s perspective. Typically, you only get the highlights of their military careers. Obviously, that information is still important. I decided to look up Hooker’s Civil War career to learn a bit more about the man Abbott stood out in the rain to see. Hooker started his time in the Civil War leading a segment of General McClellan’s Army of the Potomac. Eventually, he would be promoted to commander of this Army in the earlier part of 1863, following Lincoln’s dismissal of both McClellan and his successor, Major General Ambrose Burnside. During his tenure as leader of the Army of the Potomac, “Hooker improved conditions for the soldiers including food, medical care, and leave.” However, he encountered disagreements and tensions amongst his fellow leaders and following a major loss at the Battle of Chancellorsville, tendered his resignation. This event brings us to why he was in Abbott’s next of the woods. Following his resignation, he transferred, in mid-1863, to the Western Theater and the Army of the Cumberland. This is where Abbott spends his time during the war. In fact, the Civil War Trust notes that Hooker found success at both the Battle of Chattanooga and the Battle of Lookout Mountain. These are battles in which Abbott’s regiment took part! This letter is another great example of why Abbott’s letters are a wonderful addition to Civil War scholarship. His personal views about a fairly prominent general are fun to read and offer up a more real, personal interpretation, rather than the typical cut and dry descriptions found in other sources. Abbott’s thoughts can be perfectly paired with textbooks to give a more thorough understanding of the war. Works Cited: The Civil War Trust: Saving America’s Civil War Battlefields. “Joseph Hooker.” http://www.civilwar.org /education/history/biographies/joseph-hooker.html (accessed March 5, 2014). September 30, 1863 Today’s letter is full of interesting and important information regarding the beginning of a critical stage of the war. I’ve given some basic historical context and tied it back to Abbott but I would encourage you to read the letter in its entirety to get the full scope! The regiment received marching orders on the 10th and proceeded to start making its way through the mountains. The uneven and oftentimes steep terrain did not make for pleasant travel conditions. At some point, Abbott is sent in a different direction with other regimental cooks to stay with the wagons, though he expresses that he “would have liked much better to go with the regiment.” Eventually, Abbott does rejoin his regiment, where he is pleased to see that Roe is back with the army. At this point, the 68th regiment, along with quite a few others, are located in Chattanooga. Abbott himself wasn’t present for this battle, as he was still separated from the rest of the group. Therefore, the account he gives is what was given to him once he rejoined the regiment. The battle that followed is significant because later on in the same fall, a variety of battles would occur in this area. Based on what Abbott says, it would seem like his regiment participated in the Battle of Chickamauga. The timeframe is correct as are the circumstances of the battle. The National Park Service’s Regiment Details about Indiana’s 68th Regiment verifies that it was indeed at Chickamauga. The Battle of Chickamauga took place from September 18-20, 1863. The overarching goal was to prevent the Confederacy from holding Chattanooga, which was an important city during the war. To better the Union’s chances of success, General Rosecrans brought together a variety of regiments that had been scattered around Tennessee. This explains why Abbott’s regiment was given orders to head to the area. The battle itself turned out to be a Confederate victory, as they occupied the area around Chattanooga, thus cutting off Union supply lines. However, both sides suffered major losses. The Union saw a total of 16,170 (out of an initial 60,000) men wounded, killed, or missing, while the Confederates lost 18,454 out of 65,000. Abbott says that in his regiment, 17 were killed, 105 wounded, and 14 missing. Abbott then notes that Rosecrans got all of his men safely into Chattanooga following the battle where they began strengthening its defenses. He remarks that “we now have a splendid line of works entirely around the city. And now if they want to try their hand on us again we will have the advantage of fortifications.” The Confederates then decided to besiege the city and blocked river, route, and railroad routes, thus keeping Union supplies from reaching the city. This became known as the Siege of Chattanooga and would last for a couple of months. It’s only later in the various battles for Chattanooga that the siege ends. Abbott actually makes a rather prophetic statement about the city: “…and now if they choose to have a battle of Chattanooga recorded in the history of this war they will have to fight us in the fortifications behind our own breastworks while they take the open field!” He of course had no idea that a Battle of Chattanooga would in fact occur! Works Cited: The National Park Service. “Regimental Details: Union Indiana Volunteers. http://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-regiments-detail.htm?regiment_id=UIN0068RI (accessed March 5, 2014). The Civil War Trust: Saving America’s Civil War Battlefields. ”Chickamauga.” http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/chickamauga.html?tab=facts (accessed March 5, 2014). Photo Credit: The Civil War Trust: Saving America’s Civil War Battlefields. “Maps of Chickamauga, Georgia (1863): Chickamauga Battlefield [Sept. 19-20, 1863). http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/chickamauga/chickamauga-maps/chickamaugamcelroy.html (accessed March 5, 2014). September 17, 1864
Today’s letter to Roe has a far more somber tone than almost any of the letters in the collection. The regiment had been in the same area roughly a year before, bringing up various memories and making Mark realize much had changed since then. He especially recalls fallen comrades: “…And McKeighan Jones and Tanner and Wilson, Galt and Cravens were all there at roll-call with as good prospects of going through the war as safe as any of us, but alas! They are numbered among the silent dead! Martyrs for the freedom and liberty of our country.” Mark sounds so sad in this letter. After being in the war for about two years now, he sounds tired and a little dejected. It also highlights the fact that war does not distinguish between individuals, it takes whomever it wants. Any soldier who goes into battle is not guaranteed protection. Mark knew that he was just as likely to either live or die as anyone else in his regiment. Another quote also stood out to me: “Then I thought of the Old Mess we numbered seven in the old tent that night, but now I and Nelson is all that is left! Two dead, two in Southern dungeons, my own brother desperately wounded and in a hospital surrounded by strangers, and the other two worn out by sickness. It was a sad picture, but it is only one among thousands that this terrible war had made!” Mark doesn’t frequently mention casualties or his specific involvement in battles. This is one of the rare occasions where he is reflecting on the death and destruction that have personally affected him. Typically, he summarizes battles, talks about the weather or the countryside, or focuses on topics about home. In terms of military topics, Abbott walks Roe through the regiment’s recent movements. It really covered quite a bit of ground. He references two Confederate leaders in particular Lieutenant General Nathan Bedford Forrest and General Joseph Wheeler, who I thought were worth looking into. Forrest was actually one of the more feared Confederate generals. By the summer of 1862, "he began to make the kind of lightning raids that made him perhaps the single most feared cavalry commander of the entire war." He quickly climbed the leadership ladder, rapidly rising from volunteering as a private to his lieutenant general title. Overall, he seems to have been very successful in defeating various Union forces, causing Union General William T. Sherman to state, “that devil Forrest must be hunted down and killed if it costs ten thousand lives and bankrupts the federal treasury.” Forrest definitely was a force to be reckoned with, which is consistent with what Abbott says in the letter. He comments that his regiment encountered another group that were in a “big scare” due to the large Confederate force nearby led by Forrest and General Joseph Wheeler. While not gaining quite the same reputation was Forrest, Wheeler nevertheless proved himself to be an able leader. He advocated for a more modern approach to cavalry units by adopting the idea of mounted infantry. This was a combination of the traditional cavalry, which fought on horseback, and infantry, which fought on foot. In his method, the soldiers would ride on horse, which “enabled them to move quickly into a position, where they then dismounted and fought as infantry. In fact, Wheeler’s cavalry was really the only line of Southern defense during William T. Sherman’s raids in the later parts of the war. It’s pretty interesting that Abbott’s regiment encountered or were at least near these well-known Confederate leaders. Works Cited: Encyclopedia of Alabama. “Joseph Wheeler.” Encyclopedia of Alabama. http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-2140 (accessed March 3, 2014). The Civil War Trust: Saving America’s Civil War Battlefields. “Nathan Bedford Forrest.” http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/biographies/nathan-bedford-forrest.html (accessed March 3, 2014). |
AuthorTessa Wakefield, student intern at the Concordia College Archives, assembled these blog entries in 2013-2014 for the Isaac Mark Abbott Civil War Letters Collection. The posts summarize the content of the letters, interpret Abbott's experiences and place them in the larger context of the Civil War. Archives
March 2014
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