Dear Delia: The Civil War Letters of Captain Henry F. Young, Seventh Wisconsin Infantry
by Henry Young edited by Micheal Larson and John David Smith
University of Wisconsin Press, 2019 Cloth: 978-0-299-32360-8 | eISBN: 978-0-299-32363-9 Library of Congress Classification E537.5 7th.Y68 2019 Dewey Decimal Classification 973.78092
ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | REVIEWS | TOC | REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE
ABOUT THIS BOOK
Dear Delia chronicles the story of Henry F. Young, an officer in the famed Iron Brigade, as told through 155 letters home. His insights, often poignant and powerful, enable readers to witness the Civil War as he did. Young covers innumerable details of military service—from the camaraderie, pettiness, and thievery he witnessed among the troops, to the brutality of internecine war. He was an equally astute observer of the military leadership, maneuvers and tactics, rumored troop movements, and what he considered the strengths and weaknesses of African American soldiers. From newspapers, he retained a firm grasp of Wisconsin and national politics, often noting incidents of graft and corruption and offering pointed opinions regarding the 1864 presidential election. Above all, Young’s communications highlight his unflagging patriotism—his fierce determination to preserve the Union no matter the cost. Candid, contemplative, thorough, and occasionally humorous, Young provides a clear window into everyday events as well as into war, society, and politics. Civil War enthusiasts will appreciate this correspondence, as it reveals the perspective of a young officer from America’s western heartland, a regional viewpoint generally omitted from Civil War–era documentary projects.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Micheal J. Larson has taught American history for the past thirty years in Wisconsin. He first unearthed Young’s correspondence at the Wisconsin Historical Society as an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire in 1985. John David Smith is the Charles H. Stone Distinguished Professor of American History at the University of North Carolina–Charlotte, where he has taught courses on documentary editing. He has published twenty-nine books, many on the topic of the Civil War, and has edited collections of letters, diaries, and other primary works on the war, race relations, and southern history.
REVIEWS
“Young’s rich lode of testimony illuminates Civil War military service. His letters reveal the centrality of the Union to northern motivation, the complex relationship between U.S. soldiers and emancipation, and the powerful ties between armies and the home front.”—Gary W. Gallagher, author of The Union War
“Among the many collections of Civil War correspondence, these letters stand out for their honesty about the hard realities of war that tested one’s faith and fealty to ‘the cause,’ and the maturing ideas about what it meant to be a man. Dear Delia will repay many readings for anyone wanting to know how and why the war mattered to those who fought it.”—Randall M. Miller, co-author of The Northern Home Front during the Civil War
“Young’s letters offer some of the most stunningly honest opinions and detailed descriptions ever produced by a Union soldier. The letters are expertly presented and explained by the editors, offering unusually rich insights into the most important dimensions of the Civil War.”—T. Michael Parrish, Baylor University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents
List of Illustrations
Editorial Statement
Introduction
1. "Old Abe looks first rate, and is not a homely man by any means": August 31 to December 27, 1861
2. "I came to War to fight for the government": January 7 to May 8, 1862
3. "we are . . . broken, defeated, and out generald at every move": May 15 to October 18, 1862
4. "I am not A McClellan man, A Burnside man, A Hooker man. I am for the man that leads us to fight the Rebs": November 2, 1862, to February 14, 1863
5. "We have had three days terrible fighting": March 1 to July 27, 1863
6. "but the flag is the most costly and beutiful i ever seen": August 5 to December 28, 1863
7. "we will conquer and destroy the Reb Army": February 16 to May 1, 1864
8. "My dear little woman if I am so unfortunate as to fall my last thoughts will be of you and the dear ones": May 13 to August 6, 1864
9. "This morning I received the sad news of the loss of our darling child": August 23 to November 23, 1864
Epilogue
Bibliography
Index
REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE
If you are a student who cannot use this book in printed form, BiblioVault may be able to supply you
with an electronic file for alternative access.
Please have the accessibility coordinator at your school fill out this form.
Dear Delia: The Civil War Letters of Captain Henry F. Young, Seventh Wisconsin Infantry
by Henry Young edited by Micheal Larson and John David Smith
University of Wisconsin Press, 2019 Cloth: 978-0-299-32360-8 eISBN: 978-0-299-32363-9
Dear Delia chronicles the story of Henry F. Young, an officer in the famed Iron Brigade, as told through 155 letters home. His insights, often poignant and powerful, enable readers to witness the Civil War as he did. Young covers innumerable details of military service—from the camaraderie, pettiness, and thievery he witnessed among the troops, to the brutality of internecine war. He was an equally astute observer of the military leadership, maneuvers and tactics, rumored troop movements, and what he considered the strengths and weaknesses of African American soldiers. From newspapers, he retained a firm grasp of Wisconsin and national politics, often noting incidents of graft and corruption and offering pointed opinions regarding the 1864 presidential election. Above all, Young’s communications highlight his unflagging patriotism—his fierce determination to preserve the Union no matter the cost. Candid, contemplative, thorough, and occasionally humorous, Young provides a clear window into everyday events as well as into war, society, and politics. Civil War enthusiasts will appreciate this correspondence, as it reveals the perspective of a young officer from America’s western heartland, a regional viewpoint generally omitted from Civil War–era documentary projects.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Micheal J. Larson has taught American history for the past thirty years in Wisconsin. He first unearthed Young’s correspondence at the Wisconsin Historical Society as an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire in 1985. John David Smith is the Charles H. Stone Distinguished Professor of American History at the University of North Carolina–Charlotte, where he has taught courses on documentary editing. He has published twenty-nine books, many on the topic of the Civil War, and has edited collections of letters, diaries, and other primary works on the war, race relations, and southern history.
REVIEWS
“Young’s rich lode of testimony illuminates Civil War military service. His letters reveal the centrality of the Union to northern motivation, the complex relationship between U.S. soldiers and emancipation, and the powerful ties between armies and the home front.”—Gary W. Gallagher, author of The Union War
“Among the many collections of Civil War correspondence, these letters stand out for their honesty about the hard realities of war that tested one’s faith and fealty to ‘the cause,’ and the maturing ideas about what it meant to be a man. Dear Delia will repay many readings for anyone wanting to know how and why the war mattered to those who fought it.”—Randall M. Miller, co-author of The Northern Home Front during the Civil War
“Young’s letters offer some of the most stunningly honest opinions and detailed descriptions ever produced by a Union soldier. The letters are expertly presented and explained by the editors, offering unusually rich insights into the most important dimensions of the Civil War.”—T. Michael Parrish, Baylor University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents
List of Illustrations
Editorial Statement
Introduction
1. "Old Abe looks first rate, and is not a homely man by any means": August 31 to December 27, 1861
2. "I came to War to fight for the government": January 7 to May 8, 1862
3. "we are . . . broken, defeated, and out generald at every move": May 15 to October 18, 1862
4. "I am not A McClellan man, A Burnside man, A Hooker man. I am for the man that leads us to fight the Rebs": November 2, 1862, to February 14, 1863
5. "We have had three days terrible fighting": March 1 to July 27, 1863
6. "but the flag is the most costly and beutiful i ever seen": August 5 to December 28, 1863
7. "we will conquer and destroy the Reb Army": February 16 to May 1, 1864
8. "My dear little woman if I am so unfortunate as to fall my last thoughts will be of you and the dear ones": May 13 to August 6, 1864
9. "This morning I received the sad news of the loss of our darling child": August 23 to November 23, 1864
Epilogue
Bibliography
Index
REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE
If you are a student who cannot use this book in printed form, BiblioVault may be able to supply you
with an electronic file for alternative access.
Please have the accessibility coordinator at your school fill out this form.
It can take 2-3 weeks for requests to be filled.
ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | REVIEWS | TOC | REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE