Document 13.5 Frederick Spooner, Letter to His Brother Henry, April 30, 1861
Document 13.6 John Hines, Letter to His Parents, April 22, 1862
Document 13.7 Suzy King Taylor, Caring for the Thirty-third U.S. Colored Troops, 1863
Document 13.8 Thomas Freeman, Letter to His Brother-in-Law, March 26, 1864
Document 13.9 Eliza Frances Andrews, On Union Prisoners of War, January 1865
Interpret the Evidence
According to these sources, what accounts for the early popular support for the war and changes in sentiment over the course of the war?
Compare the letters from Fred Spooner (Document 13.5) and John Hines (Document 13.6). How did each view the enemy and the causes of the war?
In what ways do Suzy King Taylor (Document 13.7) and Eliza Frances Andrews (Document 13.9) defy or confirm contemporary gender roles? How does their race and their status shape these roles?
How do the experiences of Suzy King Taylor and Thomas Freeman (Documents 13.7 and 13.8) compare to those of the white writers (Documents 13.5, 13.6, and 13.9)?
What was life like for soldiers at the front (Documents 13.5, 13.6, and 13.8)? How would you compare the different war experiences revealed in these letters?
Put It in Context
In what ways do these personal sources complement or challenge the more well-known political and military history of the Civil War?
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