Description
Book SynopsisThis collection of letters bears witness to the Civil War of the common soldiers and junior officers of the Army of Tennessee. Brothers Alex and Tom Spence described to their family in detail not only the many battles in which they served, but the hardship of campaigning (they marched literally thousands of miles), the pride of serving in battle-proven units, and the pain of losing comrades to bullets and disease.
The Spences were a wealthy family who owned land, slaves, and the main hotel in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. With their successful careers and extensive property, they were among Clark County's most prominent families when the shadow of secession fell across Arkansas. Four years later, Arkansas would be ravaged by war, and Tom and Alex Spence would lie in soldiers' graves, far from home. Mark Christ has assembled their powerful letters from a collection in the Old State House Museum, weaving in other letters from their extended family and friends, brief but thorough introductions to each chapter, and evocative photographs. The story moves chronologically from the outset of war to the final letter from Alex's grieving fiancée.
Trade ReviewComposed of over fifty letters around two Confederate brothers reporting from campaigns in Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Georgia, this book will interest anyone wishing to read about the history of the Confederate Army of Tennessee or about the life of the common soldier during the Civil War."" -
Civil War Book Review""These letters offer the rare perspective of soldiers from the Trans-Mississippi. . . . A valuable addition to the literature on the war in the West."" -
North and South""An important addition to the growing body of primary sources for the Civil War era. . . . Were the Spence brothers obscure figures in history? Yes, but this edition provides scholars with important new resources from the era to inspire new research."" -
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