Yours Affectionately, Osgood
Colonel Osgood Vose Tracy's Letters Home from the Civil War, 1862-1865
Published on 21. June 2022
Book
Hardback
277 pages
978-1-60635-440-7 (ISBN)
Description
An abolitionist Civil War soldier and prisoner of war reflects on life during wartimeMore than 3 million men served in the American Civil War. In Yours Affectionately, Osgood, editors Sarah Tracy Burrows and Ryan W. Keating have assembled a collection of letters from one of those soldiers-Osgood Vose Tracy of the 122nd New York Infantry. Sarah Tracy Burrows, a descendant of Col. Osgood Tracy, has compiled this expansive collection from her family's private papers. Paired with illuminating discussion and historical context from noted Civil War historian Ryan W. Keating, Tracy's letters home follow his journey as a soldier and prisoner of war from his enlistment in September 1862 through the end of the war in May 1865, as Tracy then readjusted to civilian life.
The letters in Yours Affectionately, Osgood, primarily written to his mother, provide a uniquely detailed perspective of everyday life in the Army of the Potomac, adding considerably to the existing literature on the experiences of citizen soldiers in America's Civil War. A well-educated young man, Tracy offers his opinion on pressing social and political issues of the time, including his definite abolitionist sentiments; ruminates on the Union war effort and its campaigns; and demonstrates his deep commitment to family back home. Tracy's letters constitute an incredibly rare primary source volume that will be both fascinating and foundational in the scholarly community and for more general interest readers of the history of the Civil War.
The letters in Yours Affectionately, Osgood, primarily written to his mother, provide a uniquely detailed perspective of everyday life in the Army of the Potomac, adding considerably to the existing literature on the experiences of citizen soldiers in America's Civil War. A well-educated young man, Tracy offers his opinion on pressing social and political issues of the time, including his definite abolitionist sentiments; ruminates on the Union war effort and its campaigns; and demonstrates his deep commitment to family back home. Tracy's letters constitute an incredibly rare primary source volume that will be both fascinating and foundational in the scholarly community and for more general interest readers of the history of the Civil War.
Reviews / Votes
"Burrows and Keating have done well to contextualize Tracy's wartime experiences and preserve his own voice. This is an interesting collection for those interested in soldiers and the home front, efforts at commemoration, and the history of central New York." -Civil War Monitor"These wartime letters from a Union army officer to his mother, interspersed with his later accounts of the battle of Gettysburg and his capture at the battle of the Wilderness and subsequent escape, describe a range of soldier experiences: camp life, marches and battles, bonding with comrades, the highs and lows of morale, and homesickness. The reader will emerge with a broadened understanding and appreciation for the service and sacrifices of Civil War soldiers." -James M. McPherson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom
"From bad food and boredom to the horrors of Gettysburg and his escape from a Confederate prison, Osgood Tracy's missives bring the reader into the beating heart of the bloody conflict that defined our nation." -Eleanor Herman, New York Times best-selling historian
"Tracy's letters provide excellent content from which even experts will glean information and insight to the experiences of Civil War soldiers through the unique perspective of a staff officer." -Patrick A. Schroeder, Historian, Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Kent, OH
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 239 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 29 mm
Weight
567 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-60635-440-7 (9781606354407)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Sarah Tracy Burrows | Ryan W. Keating
Yours Affectionately, Osgood
Colonel Osgood Vose Tracy's Letters Home from the Civil War, 1862-1865
E-Book
06/2022
Kent State University Press
€60.49
Available for download
Persons
Sarah Tracy Burrows is a graduate of Hobart and William Smith Colleges with a BA in English and history. She worked for CFO Publishing Corporation in Boston, Massachusetts, and is currently a trustee and chair of steering for the Jacob Leisler Institute for the Study of Early New York History, named for her 8x great-grandfather.
Ryan W. Keating is professor of history and director of the Office of Student Research at California State University San Bernardino, where he teaches and researches on the Civil War era. He is the author of two books, Shades of Green: Irish Regiments, American Soldiers, and Local Communities in the Civil War Era and The Greatest Trials I Ever Had: The Civil War Letters of Margaret and Thomas Cahill.
Ryan W. Keating is professor of history and director of the Office of Student Research at California State University San Bernardino, where he teaches and researches on the Civil War era. He is the author of two books, Shades of Green: Irish Regiments, American Soldiers, and Local Communities in the Civil War Era and The Greatest Trials I Ever Had: The Civil War Letters of Margaret and Thomas Cahill.