Dear Sarah

Book excerpt: An epistolary portrait of the life and times of a Civil War soldier and family man as he transformed from simple Michigan country boy to seasoned fighter. Cpl. John H. Pardington, a member of the 24th Michigan Infantry of the famous Iron Brigade, was an articulate and observant soldier. The 80 letters collected in this volume are filled with patriotic dedication to the Union cause, longing for his wife and baby, details of camp life, and reflections on the Battle of Fredericksburg, the Battle of Chancellorsville, and other engagements. Their intimacy and warmth are made even more poignant by the knowledge that Pardington will be killed at the Battle of Gettysburg. Pardington reveals the stresses of war and comments on the heroics of everyday life, whether at home or on the battlefield. In messages to his sister and father-in-law, he shares his opinions of President Lincoln and the changing leadership of the Army of the Potomac, as well as his hopes for the outcome of the war. Full of wisdom and insight, this collection draws back the curtains on an ordinary life during the most extraordinary of times.