Jessica James - From the Heart: Love Stories and Letters from the Civil War

From the Heart

Love Stories and Letters from the CivilWar

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2011 Jessica James

Try these award-winning Civil War Novels byJessica James

Just released!

ABOVE ANDBEYOND

A Tale of Love & Redemption During theCivil War

NOBLE CAUSE: A NOVELOF LOVE AND WAR

Winner of the coveted John Esten Cooke Awardfor Southern Fiction

This title is a new version of Shades ofGray with a happily-ever-after ending

Also available:

Shades of Gray : A Novel of the CivilWar in Virginia

James original novel, now called NobleCause

Cover art used with permission of the artistJohn Paul Strain

Ride with Anna

www.johnpaulstrain.com

Smashwords Edition, LicenseNotes

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Jessica James

www.jessicajamesbooks.com

Introduction

Eloquently written letters were part ofVictorian era courtship, and the practice of letter writing did notend upon a couples marriage.

Today, no form of communication is moreimportant, more romanticand more in danger of being lostthan thewritten word. Text-messaging has, unfortunately, taken over as thenumber one way to communicate, but that doesnt mean we cant learnsomething from the beautiful and elegant writings of thepast.

Letters written during the Civil War containedaccounts of battles, life in camp, and general news, but manyeventhe ones penned by historical figures that we think of as strong,unemotional, and intrepidare sweet, poignant, and heartfeltmissives to their loved ones at home.

In this short book you will find a few of theheartwarming stories of everlasting love that I stumbled upon whiledoing research for my Civil War novel Shades of Gray. In the midstof the chaos of todays society, it may be hard to imagine the typeof devotion that plays out in these letters. One would not expect,after all, to hear sweet murmurings of love from some of the mostrenowned soldiers to come out of the warwarriors with names likeJ.E.B. Stuart, Stonewall Jackson and George Pickett, to name afew.

I hope you enjoy these words of love as muchas I do, and that you can appreciate the beautiful use of theEnglish language, written in a way that brings the emotions of thepast back to life.

Jessica James

Major Sullivan Ballou

Sullivan Ballou married Sarah Hunt Shumway onOct. 15, 1855, and served in the 2nd Rhode Island Infantry duringthe Civil War. The couple had two sons, Edgar andWilliam.

In one of the most well knownletters to come out of the Civil War, Major Ballou attempts toexplain the emotions he is feelingmost importantlythe internalbattle being waged between his love for his wife and his sense ofduty to his country.

July the 14th, 1861

Washington DC

My very dear Sarah,

The indications are very strongthat we shall move in a few daysperhaps tomorrow. Lest I shouldnot be able to write you again, I feel impelled to write lines thatmay fall under your eye when I shall be no more.

Our movement may be one of a fewdays duration and full of pleasureand it may be one of severeconflict and death to me. Not my will, but thine 0 God, be done. Ifit is necessary that I should fall on the battlefield for mycountry, I am ready. I have no misgivings about, or lack ofconfidence in, the cause in which I am engaged, and my courage doesnot halt or falter. I know how strongly American Civilization nowleans upon the triumph of the Government, and how great a debt weowe to those who went before us through the blood and suffering ofthe Revolution. And I am willingperfectly willingto lay down allmy joys in this life, to help maintain this Government, and to paythat debt.

But, my dear wife, when I knowthat with my own joys I lay down nearly all of yours, and replacethem in this life with cares and sorrowswhen, after having eatenfor long years the bitter fruit of orphanage myself, I must offerit as their only sustenance to my dear little childrenis it weakor dishonorable, while the banner of my purpose floats calmly andproudly in the breeze, that my unbounded love for you, my darlingwife and children, should struggle in fierce, though useless,contest with my love of country?

I cannot describe to you myfeelings on this calm summer night, when two thousand men aresleeping around me, many of them enjoying the last, perhaps, beforethat of deathand I, suspicious that Death is creeping behind mewith his fatal dart, am communing with God, my country, andthee...

Sarah, my love for you isdeathless, it seems to bind me to you with mighty cables thatnothing but Omnipotence could break; and yet my love of Countrycomes over me like a strong wind and bears me irresistibly on withall these chains to the battlefield.

The memories of the blissfulmoments I have spent with you come creeping over me, and I feelmost gratified to God and to you that I have enjoyed them so long.And hard it is for me to give them up and burn to ashes the hopesof future years, when God willing, we might still have lived andloved together and seen our sons grow up to honorable manhoodaround us. I have, I know, but few and small claims upon DivineProvidence, but something whispers to meperhaps it is the waftedprayer of my little Edgar that I shall return to my loved onesunharmed. If I do not, my dear Sarah, never forget how much I loveyou, and when my last breath escapes me on the battlefield, it willwhisper your name.

Forgive my many faults, and themany pains I have caused you. How thoughtless and foolish I haveoftentimes been! How gladly would I wash out with my tears everylittle spot upon your happiness, and struggle with all themisfortune of this world, to shield you and my children from harm.But I cannot. I must watch you from the spirit land and hover nearyou, while you buffet the storms with your precious little freight,and wait with sad patience till we meet to part no more.

But, O Sarah! If the dead can comeback to this earth and flit unseen around those they loved, I shallalways be near you; in the garish day and in the darkestnightamidst your happiest scenes and gloomiest hoursalways,always; and if there be a soft breeze upon your cheek, it shall bemy breath; or the cool air fans your throbbing temple, it shall bemy spirit passing by.

Sarah, do not mourn me dead; thinkI am gone and wait for thee, for we shall meet again.

As for my little boys, they willgrow as I have done, and never know a fathers love and care.Little Willie is too young to remember me long, and my blue-eyedEdgar will keep my frolics with him among the dimmest memories ofhis childhood. Sarah, I have unlimited confidence in your maternalcare and your development of their characters. O Sarah, I wait foryou there! Come to me, and lead thither my children.

Sullivan

Sullivan died a week later after the FirstBattle of Bull Run. His wife, Sarah, never remarried. She died in1917 and is buried next to her husband. Ironically, this letter wasnever mailed. Although Sarah would receive other letters, datedafter this one from the battlefield, the letter in question wasfound among Sullivans effects when Gov. William Sprague of RhodeIsland traveled to Virginia to retrieve the remains of his statessons who had fallen in battle.

Dr. Harvey Black

Harvey Black descended from the foundingfamily of Blacksburg, Va. In April of 1861, the beginning of theCivil War, Dr. Black enlisted in the 4th Virginia Regiment. Hebecame the brigade surgeon and the surgeon in charge of the FieldHospital, 2nd Corps, Army of Northern Virginia.