Army Letters 1861-1865 (Abridged, Annotated)

By Oliver Willcox Norton

Book Overview

Among the thousands of published Civil War letters, this collection stands out. Oliver Norton served under legendary commanders Strong Vincent (killed at Gettysburg) and Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, both of whom he greatly admired."The only wonder is I was not killed, and the wonder grows with each succeeding fight...Yorktown, Hanover, Gaines' Mill, Charles City, Malvern, Bull Run, Antietam, Shepherdstown Ford, Fredericksburg, Richards Ford, Chancellorsville, Loudon Valley, Gettysburg, Manassas Gap, Rappahannock Station and Olustee, to say nothing of the shelling at Harrison's Landing or the skirmish at Ely's Ford."Most of the letters were written to his beloved sister, Liz. Articulate, observant, and with a discerning intellect, Norton wrote of all he saw, sparing nothing to the folks back home. His descriptions of battle are searing and exciting. Some of his observations of camp life and other soldiers were hilariously depicted with biting wit.As the letters progress, a common refrain becomes, "if I ever get home..." But Norton did not despair of the horror and sorrow that he is witness to. He was a committed patriot, sure of his cause.Like many northern boys, his initial impressions of freed slaves is not positive. But he came to respect them highly after leading them in battle as a lieutenant in the United States Colored Troops.Norton survived the war and became prosperous in Chicago, raising a family there.Every memoir of the American Civil War provides us with another view of the catastrophe that changed the country forever.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1520265999
• ISBN13: 9781520265995
• Release Date: December 2016
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 246 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.6" x 6.0"