In the introduction to his 1994 book What They Fought For, 1861–1865, a study of what motivated Americans to enlist in the Union and Confederate militaries, historian James McPherson commented on his most important source material. “[T]he personal letters and diaries written by soldiers during their war experience … are … of unparalleled richness and candor,” he wrote. “[R]ichness because Civil War armies were the most literate in all history to that time and the letters of their soldiers have been preserved in matchless abundance … [and] candor because unlike modern armies, those of the Civil War did not discourage diary keeping or subject soldiers’ letters to censorship.”
While McPherson didn’t make this statement with any one soldier’s wartime writings in mind—he examined countless such collections as part of his research—it certainly applies to the letters written by Harlan Paige during his Civil War service. Paige, who enlisted in the 4th Vermont Infantry in August 1861 and served through war’s end, regularly wrote home—mainly to his brother Asa and fiancée Carlin, whom he married in 1864. He shared his day-to-day life as a soldier, his thoughts on the war and its progress, and his several close calls in battle. His letters, often detailed and elegant, offer a telling look at the evolution of a raw recruit into a determined veteran soldier.
In this issue’s cover feature, “The Survivor,” author Fergus Bordewich tells Paige’s story through his trove of wartime letters, a source on Civil War soldiering as rich and candid as most any to be found. Have a comment about this or other articles in this issue? Email us at [email protected].
Podcast News
The second season of our Civil War Curious podcast, where experts answer listeners’ questions about the conflict, will premiere in mid-March. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Not familiar with this or our other podcast series? Learn more on our website: civilwarmonitor.com.
