Lucius “Lute” Moseley was a nineteen-year-old student at Beloit Academy when he enlisted in the Union Army. Moseley grew up on a family farm outside Beloit, Wisconsin, where his father operated the first dray service before opening a blacksmith shop and lumber yard. His father lost most of his modest assets through litigation of a building contract he had received, which likely influenced his son’s decision to enlist in the army.

From 1862 to 1865, Moseley fought in the Civil War as an infantry soldier in Wisconsin’s 22nd Volunteers. Briefly captured and interred in a Confederate POW Camp, he returned to action and participated in Sherman’s Atlanta campaign. He marched in the Washington, D.C., Grand Review before returning to the Beloit area, where he remained for the rest of his life.

Mosely wrote detailed missives to his family in Beloit about his wartime experiences, demonstrating a flair for describing both camp life and battles. Frank and forthright, he was remarkably articulate, insightful, and thoughtful, whether describing mundane activities or the nearly unfathomable death of President Lincoln. These 125 letters, never before made available to scholars or students of the war, became touchstones and sources of pride for the Moseley family—and provide a uniquely candid and vivid view of this tumultuous period in US history.

Lucius “Lute” Moseley (1843–1923) fought in the Civil War as a soldier in the Union Army from 1862 to 1865. After the war, Moseley became a farmer, and would remain in Beloit for the rest of his life.

Sara DeLuca is the author of the memoir Dancing the Cows Home, the family biography The Crops Look Good, and three chapbooks of poetry. Her work appears in Atlanta Review, Lullwater Review, North Coast Review, and elsewhere.

Contents

List of Maps and Illustrations

Foreword by Robert Lucius Moseley
Preface
Introduction

1 Drilling for War: August 31, 1862–February 9, 1863
2 Surrender, Prison, Parole: March 8, 1863–June 11, 1863
3 The News from Tennessee: June 14, 1863–April 29, 1864
4 Redemption in Georgia: May 12, 1864–July 21, 1864
5 The Fall of Atlanta and the March to the Sea: July 25, 1864–December 26, 1864
6 The Road to Washington: January 6, 1865–May 6, 1865

Afterword by Esther Baer Moseley
Obituary of Lucius S. Moseley
“Cover Them Over with Beautiful Flowers”

Appendix A. Roster, 22nd Wisconsin Officers and Staff; Company B Infantry
Appendix B. Colonel John Coburn’s Farewell Address to His Troops
Appendix C. 22nd Wisconsin Chronology of Service and Regimental Statistics

Notes
Index