Description: This is a selection of compelling wartime letters describing the coming of age of two young enlisted men in the midst of war. Dick and Tally Simpson, two well-educated, intelligent, thoughtful young men, cared deeply for their country, their family, and their comrades-in-arms and wrote frequently to their loved ones in Pendleton, South Carolina covering events from the capture of Fort Sumpter in April 1961 to the battle of Chickamauga in September 1863. The letters read like a good historical novel, complete with plot, character development, suspense, tragedy, and even more than a little romance, offering both a vivid picture of war at the battlefront and the texture of the home life of a Southern family during the Civil War. These are letters that "tell it as it is," written from army camp, the battlefield, the hospital bed, and the picket line. Beautifully and stylistically crafted, these letters convey a moving picture of war as it was actually lived and described in the South as the Civil War unfolded.
Review Quotes: "This volume enriches the historiography of the Civil War. The editors should be commended for their fine collaborative efforts."--Civil War Regiments
"The quality, the depth of feeling, the frankness and the variety of subjects that mark these letters make for a connection between the reader and correspondents unusual in such collections...The editors have wisely let the Simpsons speak for themselves. So thorough were the letter writers in their descriptions that the editors could keep the notes and introduction to a minimum. This is a book not to be missed"--Georgia Historical Quarterly"Very interesting."--James A. Hakken, Jackson Community College"The war unfolds for the reader as it did for the soldier, full of great and horrible possibilities...Readers will find the real war in these letters written from the camp, battlefield, hospital, and picket line."--Civil War News"Like all good autobiographies, these witty and poignant letters reveal more about the authors than they had intended. As two young college boys turn into seasoned campaigners, we see an entire generation transforming itself into something it never expected."--Raymond L. Puffer, KLIATT