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Affectionately Yours: The Civil War Home Front--Letters of the Ovid Butler Family
A unique collection of Civil War letters, sent from a committed Indiana Union family to their son, a soldier on the battlefield, is rare in that it tells the story from the home-front perspective, detailing what was occurring in the villages and towns unscarred by the conflict.
211 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2004
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July 27, 2020
Affectionately Yours collects an array of family letters, chiefly from Civil War soldier Scot Butler to and from his mother and father. (Included are also a smattering of letters to and from Scot's sister and other acquaintances.) There is little in the letters of political or military significance. Scot served in the United States Army signal corps, which saw little combat, and he never recounts any particulars of his service. What is interesting in these letters (apart from the local history of Indiana and Butler University) is all in the details.
Letters from soldiers abound as Civil War primary sources, but letters from folks on the homefront to soldiers are comparatively rare. Soldiers generally could not save letters they received, and few people sending letters to their soldier relatives made copies. These letters, detailing events at home, offer a wonderful view of the ongoings on the homefront and of how ordinary life persisted during the war. There are many wonderful examples of Civil War era expressions and idioms, references to weddings and trips to the market, hunting and fishing excursions, etc. For a historian or a writer, Affectionately Yours is a treasure trove of information.
I would not say that Affectionately Yours has broad appeal to a mainstream audience. The letters are dense with details about people little explored or developed. They are slow to read, and relate little of the Civil War, either politically or militarily. However, for a thoughtful student of the period, this is a truly wonderful primary source book.
Letters from soldiers abound as Civil War primary sources, but letters from folks on the homefront to soldiers are comparatively rare. Soldiers generally could not save letters they received, and few people sending letters to their soldier relatives made copies. These letters, detailing events at home, offer a wonderful view of the ongoings on the homefront and of how ordinary life persisted during the war. There are many wonderful examples of Civil War era expressions and idioms, references to weddings and trips to the market, hunting and fishing excursions, etc. For a historian or a writer, Affectionately Yours is a treasure trove of information.
I would not say that Affectionately Yours has broad appeal to a mainstream audience. The letters are dense with details about people little explored or developed. They are slow to read, and relate little of the Civil War, either politically or militarily. However, for a thoughtful student of the period, this is a truly wonderful primary source book.
Displaying 1 of 1 review