The Civil War letters of Joseph Hopkins Twichell :
a chaplain's story /
edited by Peter Messent and Steve Courtney.
| Main Creator: | |
|---|---|
| Contributors: | |
| Summary: | "In 1861 young Joseph Twichell cut short his seminary studies to become a Union Army chaplain in New York's Excelsior Brigade. A middle-class New England Protestant, Twichell served for three years in a regiment manned mostly by poor Irish American Catholics. This selection of Twichell's letters to his Connecticut family will rank him alongside the Civil War's most literate and insightful firsthand chroniclers of life on the road, in battle, and in camp. As a noncombatant, he observed and participated in the momentous events of the Peninsula and Wilderness Campaigns as well as the battles of Second Bull Run, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and Spotsylvania." "Twichell writes about politics and slavery and the theological and cultural divide between him and his men. He tells of tending the helpless, burying the dead, and counseling the despondent. Alongside accounts of a run-in with slave hunters, a massive withdrawal of wounded soldiers from Richmond, and other extraordinary events, Twichell offers close-up views of his commanding officer, the "political general" Daniel Sickles, surely one of the most colorful and controversial leaders on either side." "Civil War scholars and enthusiasts will welcome this fresh voice from an underrepresented class of soldier, the army chaplain. Readers who know of Twichell's later life as a prominent minister and reformer or as Mark Twain's closest friend will appreciate these insights into his early, transforming experiences."--Jacket. |
| In collection: | Stephen Griffin Collection |
| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published / Created: |
Athens :
University of Georgia Press,
2006.
|
| Subjects: | |
| Notes: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 319-321) and index. Joseph Twichell was a young seminary student when he became a Union Army chaplain in New York's Excelsior Brigade. Twichell chose the assignment because many of the men, poor Irish Catholics, did not receive the comfort of the Gospel. While in the regiment, he made the acquaintance of Fr. Joseph O'Hagan of Georgetown University, with whom he developed a warm and lasting friendship. Twichell's best friend was Mark Twain. They would often travel together and Twichell is even a character in one of Twain's books. Physical description: xi, 333 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm more |
| ISBN: | 9780820326931 (hardcover : alk. paper) 0820326933 (hardcover : alk. paper) |
| Call Number | View In | Collection |
|---|---|---|
|
GR 5680 |
Offsite |
Griffin |
