Description: Among the piles of obsolete farm and household implements, haystacks, dust, and debris abandoned in her historic barn, Katie Aldridge discovered a box containing the Civil War letters of Charles Freeman Biddlecom. Painstakingly transcribing and lightly editing more than 100 letters written by the soldier to his wife during his service, Ms. Aldridge resurrected the voice of the Civil War combat soldier. The tone and character of "Charlie's" detailed accounts of the war compelled Ms. Aldridge to find out more.
From letters written throughout Grant's Overland Campaign the listener gains an insider's view of the war: fear, hunger, sickness, longing, and concern for those left behind as well as detailed insights about the political climate. Writing from the perspective shaped in an Upstate New York community closely linked to the abolitionist cause, woman's suffrage, and the Quaker philosophy, the listener will learn how Charlie's background shaped his actions and view of the war.Brief description: Katie Aldridge, a first time author, is a homemaker and elite class marathoner who lives with her her four teenaged children and shepherd-doodle in Upstate NY. When not running herself or her kids around town, Katie continues her work to preserve and publish the stories contained within the box of abandoned letters discovered in her barn.