A true story of the coming-of-age account of a mid-19th century schoolgirl, Laurentine, in Janesville, Wisconsin who became a teacher upon turning 15 years old and was a prolific writer and an insightful chronicler of change and growth in the United States. Keeping a diary, her "father confessor," provides us now with an engaging, detailed and unique views of family tensions, social relations, community debates, and the face of war -- the Civil War -- from one schoolgirl's perspective. Laurentine challenges us to reconsider what we think we know about 19th century females and their attitudes about duty, roles, and views on life. And her humor and escapades make us realize too, that much of human experience, including that of teachers, is timelessly repeated from one generation to the next.

" While Father is Away reveals the intimate story of a British-American's role in the American Civil War. William Bradbury's letters home provide a rare window on the unique relationships among husband, wife, and children while a father was away at war. Yorkshire attorney turned Union volunteer soldier Bradbury became a "privileged private" with extraordinary access to powerful Union generals including Daniel Butterfield, future president Benjamin Harrison, and Clinton B. Fisk, the region's administrator for the Freedmen's Bureau during Reconstruction. The letters also provide an in-depth look at this driven land speculator and manager for the Atchison Topeka Santa Fe Railway. As a reporter for the Chicago Tribune and the Manchester Guardian, Bradbury was both eyewitness to and participant in the shaping of events in the world as it moved west.

A true story of the coming-of-age account of a mid-19th century schoolgirl, Laurentine, in Janesville, Wisconsin who became a teacher upon turning 15 years old and was a prolific writer and an insightful chronicler of change and growth in the United States. Keeping a diary, her "father confessor," provides us now with an engaging, detailed and unique views of family tensions, social relations, community debates, and the face of war -- the Civil War -- from one schoolgirl's perspective. Laurentine challenges us to reconsider what we think we know about 19th century females and their attitudes about duty, roles, and views on life. And her humor and escapades make us realize too, that much of human experience, including that of teachers, is timelessly repeated from one generation to the next.

" While Father is Away reveals the intimate story of a British-American's role in the American Civil War. William Bradbury's letters home provide a rare window on the unique relationships among husband, wife, and children while a father was away at war. Yorkshire attorney turned Union volunteer soldier Bradbury became a "privileged private" with extraordinary access to powerful Union generals including Daniel Butterfield, future president Benjamin Harrison, and Clinton B. Fisk, the region's administrator for the Freedmen's Bureau during Reconstruction. The letters also provide an in-depth look at this driven land speculator and manager for the Atchison Topeka Santa Fe Railway. As a reporter for the Chicago Tribune and the Manchester Guardian, Bradbury was both eyewitness to and participant in the shaping of events in the world as it moved west.

Rare among Civil War correspondence, the collection of Union Sergeant George F. Cram's letters reveals an educated young man's experiences as part of Sherman's army. Advancing through the Confederacy with the 105th Illinois Infantry Regiment, Cram engaged in a number of key conflicts, such as Resaca, Peachtree Creek, Kennesaw, and Sherman's "march to the sea." A highly literate college student who carried a copy of Shakespeare in his knapsack, Cram wrote candid letters that convey insights into the social dimensions of America's Civil War. With a piercing objectivity, optimism, and a dry sense of humor, Cram conscientiously reported the details of camp life. His vivid depictions of the campaigns throughout Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas contribute new insights into the battle scenes and key Union leaders. Cram and several of his compatriots adhered to a principled code of personal conduct (no smoking, swearing, drinking, or gambling), striving to maintain integrity and honor in the face of war's hardships and temptations. Influenced by the abolitionist values of his community and college, Cram's observations on the effects of slavery and on the poverty of many of the Southerners are especially illuminating. Civil War scholars and general readers alike will learn much from Cram's discoveries and observations-from his sympathy for poor whites to his grudging respect for the Confederates-that reveal the character of a young man maturing at war.