The Greatest Trials I Ever Had: The Civil War Letters of Margaret and Thomas Cahill
Title | The Greatest Trials I Ever Had: The Civil War Letters of Margaret and Thomas Cahill |
Publication Type | Book |
Year of Publication | 2017 |
Authors | Keating, Ryan W. |
Number of Pages | 230 |
Publisher | The University of Georgia Press |
City | Athens, GA |
Abstract | This edited collection 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 collection 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. Because 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 are not able to achieve. This lively correspondence provides a great introduction to primary source reading for students of the Civil War home front. |
URL | https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1pwt5qn |