ISBN: 9780807121344

This extensive collection of Civil War letters, written by three sons of William H. Pierson of Bienville Parish, Louisiana, offers riveting glimpses of almost every variety of experience … More...

This extensive collection of Civil War letters, written by three sons of William H. Pierson of Bienville Parish, Louisiana, offers riveting glimpses of almost every variety of experience faced by the Rebel soldier. Prolific letter writers, the Piersons were literate, observant, and well placed to comment not only on the battles and campaigns of their regiments, but also on their commanding officers, the effect of political activity on soldier morale, and, most of all, their entire family's understanding of and commitment to the Confederate cause.Residents of antebellum northwest Louisiana held strong pro-Union sentiments, and the Piersons were no exception, opposing secession in 1861. Yet once war began, the region contributed its full share of support to the southern army, and four of William Pierson's eight sons enlisted. Three became officers, the fourth a sergeant, in the Third, Ninth, and Twentyseventh Louisiana Infantries, rendering outstanding service in Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Fortunately for contemporary scholars and other readers, three of the brothers -- David, Reuben Allen, and James, all well educated and articulate -- wrote often of their experiences, generating one of the richest bodies of Civil War correspondence composed by Confederate soldiers.Their letters vividly depict the life and duties of the private soldier, the noncommissioned officer, the company grade officer, and the field-grade officer. They range in subject from the early battles of the Trans-Mississippi -- including the campaigns at Wilson's Creek and Pea Ridge -- to the epic battles of the Army of Northern Virginia, and from the brutal trenches ofVicksburg to provost guard duty in north Louisiana in the waning days of the war.In addition to military matters, the letters reflect the social history of the South at war. They disclose much interesting detail about the importance of extended family in the region, attitudes toward religion and the typically firm belief in Providence's shaping the destiny of the Confederacy, and the unshakable view of southern womanhood as the guardian of the embattled republic. Idealistic and patriotic, the Piersons excoriate prostitutes, profiteers, draft dodgers, and all else whom they see as polluters of their country and its uniquely righteous cause.Enriched with an informative introduction and generous editorial notes by two distinguished authorities on the Civil War, Brothers in Gray will prove an invaluable primary resource to all students of the Civil War. Media > Book, [PU: Louisiana State University Press]<