Don't hurry me down to Hades : soldiers and families in America's Civil War

__Don't Hurry Me Down to Hades__ is the story of families enduring the whirlwind of the Civil War, told through the words of famous and ordinary citizens and ranging from the battlefield to the home front, from presidential councils to frontier revivals. The book reveals how Americans on both sides of the Mason and Dixon line withstood four years of brutal, unrelenting conflict. Of the hundreds of thousands of books published on the American Civil War, this is one of the few to approach the nation's defining conflict from this powerful perspective. Grounded in rare family letters and diaries, __Don't Hurry Me Down to Hades__captures Americans' wide-ranging reactions to the war and their astonishing perseverance. Some of the accounts are entirely unknown to readers, while better-known events are told from unusual perspectives. Abraham Lincoln's assassination, for example, is shared from the viewpoint of Major Henry Rathbone and his fiancée (and stepsister)... Don't Hurry Me Down to Hades is the story of families enduring the whirlwind of the Civil War, told through the words of famous and ordinary citizens and ranging from the battlefield to the home front, from presidential councils to frontier revivals. The book reveals how Americans on both sides of the Mason and Dixon line withstood four years of brutal, unrelenting conflict. Of the hundreds of thousands of books published on the American Civil War, this is one of the few to approach the nation's defining conflict from this powerful perspective. Grounded in rare family letters and diaries, Don't Hurry Me Down to Hades captures Americans' wide-ranging reactions to the war and their astonishing perseverance. Some of the accounts are entirely unknown to readers, while better-known events are told from unusual perspectives. Abraham Lincoln's assassination, for example, is shared from the viewpoint of Major Henry Rathbone and his fiancée (and stepsister)... Acclaimed Civil War historian Susannah Ural brings a unique and fresh insight into the war, delving into the historical archives, in particular the untapped resources of the Gilder Lehrmann Institute. Her consummate narrative draws together these different personal recollections to create a textured, detailed portrait of a nation at war with itself. This unique examination of the Civil War looks at the desperate battles and the wider experiences wrought by the horrors of the conflict through excerpts from letters and diaries of soldiers on the frontlines, commanders on the eve of battle, anxious families at home, ordinary and famous men and women and slave and free. These first-hand accounts invite readers to set aside assumptions and learn about the divisions and range of opinions on both sides of the contest. Drawing on diaries and letters of both the famous and ordinary, this book presents a collection of personal narratives on the Civil War, from the early failures of Union commanders to the assassination of President Lincoln at Ford's Theater. For four years American families on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line were forced to endure the violence and hardship of the Civil War. This is the story of these families, expertly crafted from their own words. Revealing the innermost thoughts of both famous citizens and men and women forgotten by history, this book explores life on the battlefield and the home front, capturing the astonishing perseverance of the men and women caught up in this most brutal of conflicts, the American Civil War. -- From publisher's website. Drawing On Diaries And Letters Of Both The Famous And Ordinary, This Book Presents A Collection Of Personal Narratives On The Civil War, From The Early Failures Of Union Commanders To The Assassination Of President Lincoln At Ford's Theater. For Four Years American Families On Both Sides Of The Mason-dixon Line Were Forced To Endure The Violence And Hardship Of The Civil War. This Is The Story Of These Families, Expertly Crafted From Their Own Words. Revealing The Innermost Thoughts Of Both Famous Citizens And Men And Women Forgotten By History, This Book Explores Life On The Battlefield And The Home Front, Capturing The Astonishing Perseverance Of The Men And Women Caught Up In This Most Brutal Of Conflicts, The American Civil War.--publisher Information. Filled with diverse letters and diary entries from the archives and rich resources across America, Don't Hurry Me Down to Hades sheds new light on the military events, politics, and personal sacrifices experienced during the War Between the States.For four years American families on both sides of the Mason–Dixon Line were forced to endure the violence and hardship of the Civil War. This is the story of these families, expertly crafted from their own words.Revealing the innermost thoughts of both famous citizens and men and women forgotten by history, esteemed Civil War historian Susannah J. Ural explores life on the battlefield and the home front, capturing the astonishing perseverance of the men and women caught up in this most brutal of conflicts. Explores life on the battlefield and the home front during the American Civil War, revealing new insights by drawing on diaries and letters of both the well-known figures and everyday people caught up in the divisive war