Fallen Leaves: The Civil War Letters of Major Henry Livermore Abbott

by Robert Garth Scott (Editor)

Major Henry Livermore Abbott of the 20th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was the most widely known and highly respected officer of his rank to serve in the Army of the Potomac. He distinguished himself in every battle in which he participated, from Ball’s Bluff until the Battle of the Wilderness, where he died in command of his regiment. Fallen Leaves is a collection of Abbott’s wartime letters to his family and friends, the majority published here for the first time. Robert Garth Scott’s introduction contains a biographical sketch of Abbott that offers the most complete account of his life to date and, in his epilogue, recounts the details of Abbott’s final battle and death. Also published with the letters are more than 30 photographs, many of them showing members of the 20th Massachusetts. Abbott’s letters convey an immediacy which gives readers a sense of being part of an inner circle of friends and relatives. This quality lends itself to fresh and compelling reading for Civil War scholars, buffs, and general readers alike.

280 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1991

Reviews

[noreast_bookreviewsnh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fallen Leaves : The civil war letters of Major Henry Livermore Abbott - edited by Robert Garth Scott
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A beautifully written first person account of Major Henry Abbott’s service with the 20th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War. The editor has compiled a treasure trove of highly detailed letters from Major Abbott to various family members back home as well as his siblings (two brothers were also in the war with Henry) and many comrades and friends (such as future Supreme Court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes). Abbott, at the age of 19, would be commissioned a second lieutenant in the 20th Mass, known as the Harvard regiment for its numerous Harvard alumni, and would be promoted multiple times until reaching the rank of Major. He describes his service at many battles such as Balls Bluff, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg and his last being the battle of the wilderness where he would be killed in action at the tender age of 22 and posthumously promoted to brigadier general by Ulysses Grant. Abbott was universally praised and respected by his fellow officers and the men under his command, including high praise from Generals Meade and Hancock. Abbott’s letters to his father (a Boston elite, also a staunch copperhead war democrat) shine a light on the fact that many union soldiers did not fight for emancipation and didn’t agree with Lincoln’s political philosophy, yet were still very pro war and wanted to maintain the union. Abbott details his love for General George McClellan in many letters and seems to be awaiting his return all the way up until 1864 when Grant takes over and Abbott begrudgingly comes to respect Grant and his leadership. Abbott is very witty and slightly arrogant (a typical Boston elite) yet he feels so relatable as a human being making his letters highly readable and entertaining. A truly remarkable journal that should be read by all civil war enthusiasts!
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[Zack · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Fallen Leaves" is the best collection of Army of the Potomac letters I have ever read. Abbott was a first-rate intellectual who nonetheless made a name for himself as a down-to-earth, competent junior officer. His prominent place in the 20th Massachusetts, Norman Hall's brigade, made him one of the army's most important and perspicacious conservative Democratic officers.