A condolence letter written to the daughter of a childhood friend and fellow Civil War soldier reveals as much about the character of the author as it does about the deceased.  A beautifully penned letter after a chance meeting starts a long distance courtship lasting 8 years.  A small child writes to an absent sick mother instinctively knowing that she must be “a good girl.”

When my mother died she left me several boxes containing letters and memorabilia dating back to the late 1700s.  At first I simply lacked the patience to wade through the “illegible” correspondence, but my curiosity won out.  This series is an opportunity to share a look into the character of those who came before me.

“A letter always seemed to me like immortality because it is the mind alone without corporeal friend.” 
― Emily Dickinson