Far, Far from Home: The Wartime Letters of Dick and Tally Simpson Third South Carolina Volunteers

by Edward W. Simpson Jr. and Dick Simpson

Book Overview

In April 1861, Dick and Tally Simpson, sons of South Carolina Congressman Richard F. Simpson, enlisted in Company A of the Third South Carolina Volunteers of the Confederate army. Their letters home--published here for the first time--read like a historical novel, complete with plot, romance, character, suspense, and tragedy. In their last year of college when the war broke out, Dick and Tally were hastily handed their diplomas so they could volunteer...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195086643
• ISBN13: 9780195086645
• Release Date: June 1994
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Long lost history

I must admit to being slightly prejudiced about this book. I stumbled on it during an ancestor search and found some of my relatives within the pages...Taliferro and Broyles. It was a great read and provided so much first hand insight into what it was like to live during the Civil War.I am so thankful that the authors thought the material was worthy of a book. I am sharing it with other family members.

Far, Far From Home

This happens to be my fathers book, however I am compelled to comment despite my potential bias. Firstly, the authors are Edward W. Simpson Jr. and Guy R. Everson (ie. not R.W. Simpson - he was a historical figure in the book). Dad found the letters hidden in a storage chest. He transcribed them over a period of four years and both authors spent another 3 years documenting the accuracy of the movements. Secondly, I am pleased to say it is truly one of the most wonderful bits of history that actually reads like a novel (important for me because I am not a Civil War buff). The story was a compilation of letters, written by a soldier dipicting everything from grand strategy, individual combat, to challenging personal experiences. The Simpson brothers (ie. the letter writters) served in Longstreets Corps under Robert E. Lee, in the Army of Northern Virginia. I am amazed at the courage that war required and how the letters capture the essence, the struggle, and the pathos of our Civil War.