This Infernal War: The Civil War Letters of William and Jane Standard (Civil War in the North)

Antiwar love letters of a Copperhead soldier and his wife Among collections of letters written between American soldiers and their spouses, the Civil War correspondence of William and Jane Standard stands out for conveying the complexity of the motives and experiences of Union soldiers and their families. The Standards of Lewiston in Fulton County, Illinois, were antiwar Copperheads. Their attitudes toward Abraham Lincoln, Black Republicans, and especially African Americans are, frankly, troubling to modern readers. Scholars who argue that the bulk of Union soldiers left their families and went to war to champion republican government or to wipe out slavery will have to account for this couples rejection of the wars ideals. Yet the war changed them, in spite of themselves. Janes often bitter letters illuminate the alienation of women left alone and the impact on a small community of its men going to war. But she grew more independent in her husbands absence. Enlisting in the 103rd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment in October 1862, William participated in General Shermans Siege of Vicksburg, the Battles of Missionary Ridge and Atlanta, and the March to the Sea. At the wars end he proudly marched in the Grand Review of the Armies in the national capital. Meanwhile, he expressed enthusiasm for stealing and foraging (a.k.a., cramping) and unhappiness with his service, complaints that fed Janes intermittent requests that he desert or be captured and paroled. Williams odyssey illustrates the Union militarys assimilation of resentful Northern men to support a long, grueling, and, after 1862, revolutionary war on the South. The Standards antiwar opinions hearken to modern expressions of pacifism and condemnation of government. Janes and Williams opposition to the war helped sustain their commitment to and dependence on each other to survive it. Their letters reveal two strongwilled people in love, remaining hopeful, passionate, loyal, and even playful as they awaited their own reunion. Machine Generated Contents Note: Introduction 3 -- 1.i Find Camp Life Pretty Hard25 -- 2.just As Cool As A Cucumber 45 -- 3.generals Override All Law 63 -- 4.i Have Satiated My Military Ambition 89 -- 5.your Letters Are Worth More Than Gold121 -- 6.our Co.led The Charge Gallantly148 -- 7.gen'l Tilghman Said I Ought To Be A Colonel 178 -- 8.my Almost Broken Heart 213 -- 9.a Soldier Only Knows What He Sees 251 -- 10.we Cannot Make Much Of A Stand290 -- 11.anything To Get On That Side The River 325 -- 12.i Am Tired Of Doing Nothing 356 -- 13.i Was Received Very Kindly 387 -- 14.i Cannot Afford To Live Here 407 -- 15.great Peace Rumors 425 -- Appendix -- List Of Relatives And Acquaintances Mentioned In The -- Letters 451 -- Roster Of The Minden Rangers (official) .453 -- Supplementary Roster Of The Minden Rangers -- (unofficial) 460 -- Chronological List Of Fay's Letters 462 -- Index 467

library Of Congress Subject Headings For This Publication: United States History Civil War, 1861-1865 Personal Narratives, Confederate. Edited By Bell Irvin Wiley With The Assistance Of Lucy E. Fay. Includes Bibliographical References. Mode Of Access: World Wide Web.