One of the most heartwarming areas of Civil War research is the personal correspondence between soldiers and their loved ones. Soldiers would often convey not only details about their time in camp and battle, but also their deepest emotions. This was particularly true between husbands and wives, as well as sweethearts. Because these letters were never meant to be shared with anyone except the recipient, the soldiers and their dear ones were often very expressive of feelings that otherwise would have been kept private and only voiced in the privacy of the home. When reading love letters penned during the Civil War, it bears noting how poetic the language and expressions of love are. Despite the countless battles, long marches, and tedious camp life that molded them into hardened troops, the soldiers still wrote with sweet expressions of tender affection to those who were most dear to them. One such letter was written by Confederate officer Edward Porter Alexander, whose letter to his wife dated March 30, 1865 described how dearly he missed her:

“…Oh Darling my hearts yearns after you by day and night and if U could only look into it and see how it is filled with love of my own Benie I know you could but feel happy in it. I love to think too my Dearest that your heart is equally devoted to me for U have showing it not only in words but in many an hour of suffering for my sake. It is not thrown away upon an ungrateful heart Darling Wife for altho I may not be the best of husbands, I certainly love as warmly as ever one did...”¹

These sentiments were echoed on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line. Union troops, as well, voiced similar honeyed words to their dear ones at home. It is important to note, as well, that letters were the only forms of connection that soldiers and their families had to each other during the war, so their importance cannot be underscored enough. Throughout all of the stress of battle and military life during the Civil War, as well as the stress that the women faced in trying to protect and feed their families while the men were at war, their love for their families was regarded as a source of strength for them. It kept them going and pushed them to continue fighting. This is beautifully illustrated in a letter written by Charles W. Hill of the 5th Massachusetts Infantry to his wife Martha on March 19th, 1863:

“…Let us each cheerfully do the work before us whatever it may be and the time will not seem long I love to feel as I always have been able to that I can rely [?] on your love and regard whatever others may think or say. It makes a man feel strong to know that he is all the world to somebody…”²

These letters are but a couple of examples of the loving sentiments voiced between Civil War soldiers and their sweethearts. Reading through these letters is almost like opening a small window into the past where one can catch a glimpse into the hearts of the writers. The homesickness, the longing, and above all, the love and devotion that soldiers during the Civil War had for their families is ultimately the driving force that allowed them to continue to endure continued suffering for four years. That same love and devotion also allowed the women left behind on the home front to continue to keep their households running smoothly, even despite great hardships. This was particularly true of southern women, as shortages and the constant movement of two different armies put them and their families at a particularly high risk of starvation and danger. Regardless of the cost, however, it is beautiful to see that love, as it states in 1 Cor. 13:7, NAB, “endures all things”, and this is no more evident than in the loving correspondence between Civil War soldiers and their beloved women at home.

Footnotes

¹Edward Porter Alexander to his wife, March 30, 1865, in the Southern Historical Collection: the Edward Porter Alexander Papers, last modified March 30, 2015, https://web.lib.unc.edu/civilwar/index.php/2015/03/30/30-march-1865-e-p-alexander/.

²Charles W. Hill to Martha Hill, March 19, 1863, in the Southern Historical Collection: Federal Soldiers’ Letters #3185, edited by Biff Hollingsworth, last modified March 19, 2013, https://web.lib.unc.edu/civilwar/index.php/2013/03/19/19-march-1863-2/.

Bibliography

Alexander, Edward Porter. Edward Porter to his wife. In the Edward Porter Alexander Papers, Southern Historical Collection. Last modified March 30, 2015. https://web.lib.unc.edu/civilwar/index.php/2015/03/30/30-march-1865-e-p-alexander/ Hill, Charles W. Charles W. Hill to Martha Hill. In Federal Soldiers’ Letters #3185, Southern Historical Collection. Edited by Biff Hollingsworth, last modified March 19, 2013. https://web.lib.unc.edu/civilwar/index.php/2013/03/19/19-march-1863-2/