The Greatest Trials I Ever Had: The Civil War Letters of Margaret and Thomas Cahill (New Perspectives on the Civil War Era Ser.)

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Description

This edited number of Civil War correspondence between Col. Thomas Cahill and his wife, Margaret, offers a rare glimpse into the symbiotic relationship between soldiers and their home communities. In the only substantial extant number of letters from an Irish American woman on the northern home front, Margaret’s pivotal role as a go-between in the financial affairs of men in the regiment and their wives is made evident, as is the broader interplay between the community of New Haven, Connecticut, and the regiment.

The couple’s correspondence was once nearly constant in their four years apart. There is an inherent intimacy in the way that day by day life all over the Civil War is documented and in particular in the gradual revelation of the emotional toll taken by a long-distance relationship. Since the volume includes letters from both Cahill and his wife, the interplay between the regiment and the home front is traced in a way most collections don’t seem to be ready to reach.

This full of life correspondence provides a great introduction to primary source reading for students of the Civil War home front. These teaching opportunities will supplemented by a companion web page that features more correspondence, maps, and additional learning materials.

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