The Civil War in Kentucky

            My visit to the EKU's Special Collections and Archives was a very enjoyable and memorable experience.  It was special to be able to hold such important documents in my hands that were so old.   A lot of the documents that I seen were undecipherable to me because I was not real used to reading cursive handwriting. The documents that I focused on were located in Box 1, and the two main documents that I will discussing in this post were located in folders 2 and 5.  Folder 2 contained personal documents, while folder 5 contained military documents.

            The item that I read which was in the personal documents folder was a soldier's account of a skirmish he took part in.  It was in Knox County, Kentucky approximately 12 miles from Cumberland Gap.  It did not seem like a major battle.  I could not decipher how many he said were killed, but he said, "...wounded 9 and took 8 good horses, and saddles, 8 double barrel shot guns, 9 sabers, pistols, ..., and did not lose a single man nor none wounded and took 4 prisoners and sent them to London..."  This soldier was under the command of Colonel Mundy, who was a Union officer from Owen County, Kentucky.  The soldier signs his name as L. Budd (something) chief bugler in the 1st squadron of the Kentucky Calvary I think is what it says.

            Another item I looked at was the General Order No. 70.  This document recognized the Third Division for the success they had in the "Gibraltar of Kentucky!" as the document says .  It was dated February 19, 1862.  Therefore, this letter could have been in correspondence to the battles of Middle Creek and Mill Springs which were both Union victories that helped secure Union control in Eastern Kentucky during this part of the war.

The Stocker Family Documents

The Stocker Family Documents

What I got to look at in the historical archives was the stocker family documents. The earlier of the two documents is dated October 6^th, 1862 and is a signed oath that William Stocker took as a prisoner of war under General Kirby Smith, the oath states that Stocker will not provide military information nor offer help to the Union under the penalty of death.

The later document is dated September 21^st, 1864 and is an enlistment letter sent to Mr. Stocker stating that he has been drafted and must report to London Kentucky by the 11^th of October.

These documents had such an affect on people’s lives, whether it was a document that meant you had to put your life on the line for your country or it said that you swear to not help the same cause or else you will be killed. Receiving these documents had to be trying for men and there families during this era. To have to go to war cannot be an easy pill to swallow but to watch as those who have the wealth to either pay the fee to be exempt from having to give their lives to service or to be able to hire a substitute had to intolerable. As a result the New York City Draft Riots would ensue as congress passed new drafting laws and what began as a riot would turn into a horde of mainly working class Irish immigrants attack black people. These riots would eventually be settled down when president Lincoln would divert some forces after the battle of Gettysburg with the purpose of subduing them.

After fighting in the war and taking your nations pride to heart being captured would be a devastating thing, dying for your country is one thing but to be caught and caged away is a completely different dynamic. Having the option to be released by signing an oath that would swear you against divulging anything about the enemy or giving aid to the war cause would while seemingly useless would still be a difficult thing to sign. To give your word to act against your country or to give your word with the intentions of breaking it are both disparaging things to do and could not have been done with content in ones actions.

These documents, while are not letters and do not divulge words directly from the men give instead a look at the possible stories of these men’s lives and what emotions they would feel as well as the actions they took.

A Stroll into Tennessee

For my sojourn into the University's Archives collection, I decided to take a look into The Civil War Collections Box 2. Inside I found two books, one the Volunteer registry for the 8th Kentucky's Companies B&C, the other the accounting details for the entire regiment. When I looked into the first one, Eighth Kentucky Regiment USA volunteers Companies B and C, I half expected to see just a list of names along with the dates for their enlistment and for their exit from the Regiment. Instead, I found a surprisingly detailed account of each man in the two companies. With each entry I read it was as if I could see the entire story of each soldier laid out before me. Two really caught y attention. The first one was the story of  an Officer named Jacob J. Tipton. Born in Estill Co, Kentucky, Jacob voluntarily enlisted in September of 1861, at 22 years old. Within a year, he was promoted to the rank of Captain within the 8th Kentucky. He met his fate on the 19th of September, 1863, when he was captured by the Confederate forces alongside two other men from the 8th Kentucky during the Battle of Chickamauga. He was not returned during the next 2 years, as is shown by his payroll status in the accounting book ending then, and most likely sat out the rest of the war within the confines of a Confederate POW camp. The other man whose story came to my attention was James J. Boyle, also of Estill Co. Boyle served in the same company as Tipton, company B. During the Battle of Chickamauga, Boyle received not one but 4 severe bullet wounds while fighting. What surprised me most from this, though, was that he then managed to keep on serving for Two Whole Months before succumbing to his injuries in a field hospital just outside Chattanooga in Nov. 1863. That astounds me that these men ere able to go through this voluntarily, all the while the benefits and conditions they were in continued to deteriorate around them (the accounting log showed in the course of a single year, from 1862 - 1863, their pay dropped from about $30 a month to just over $4 a month.) Another point of interest, though, was the fact that each soldier had his skin complexion listed in the roster. Being a Volunteer unit from South Eastern  Kentucky formed in 1861, I excepted it to be a lot of white men rallying for the Union. I was shocked, however, to see that their was a large number of enlistees that were labeled Dark, which to my surprise upon further investigation showed to mean that they were Black. Not only that, but some of these black soldiers were actually officers, the highest one being a colonel. I'm astounded by this, because these men were enlisted a full 2 years before the Union actually began officially enlisting African Americans.

   So, In Conclusion, I find that History has once again proven itself to not be as black or white as we like to think it. I found proof that there was a regiment  from Southern Kentucky, that in 1861 willfully accepted black volunteers into its ranks, and even allowed them to become officers. I saw records of men my own age voluntarily joining to fight and die or fall into enemy hands, al the while their salary, the one thing that was essential to them, kept dwindling and dwindling. This regiment is more than a list of names. its an inspiration for us all.

The Doctor Is Out

I chose to be very concise in what I looked at in the EKU archives. What I viewed was the records of the comings and goings of the 8^th regiment of the Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, as kept by Captain John Wilson. These records are found in Box 3, Folder 1 of the Civil War collection. I expected to find “Absent Without Leave” (AWOL) numbers to be very high, especially from what we had discussed in class. What I found instead was what I feel is a much harsher reality; rampant sickness, to the point of being crippling to the entire regiment. Studying just the enlisted men, it became apparent that sickness was reason for half to most of the reasons for men being gone from their regiment. Using the years of 1862-63, the greatest number I found of enlisted men listed as absent due to sickness, was 92% (March 1862), the lowest was 50%(December 1863), this encompasses all enlisted men marked as absent from duty. What this shows to me is that had there been more medical treatment, and more precautionary treatment, the usable force just among this single regiment would have risen dramatically. Also, assuming this is a reliable sampling of 1 regiment; one can draw a hypothesis and also assume that it was no better amongst other brigades and regiments, whether they were Union or Confederate. Yes, this was a time that we as humans did not fully understand medicine, as we all know of the amputation tents set up on the battlefields.

            In conclusion, what I am left with is more questions than answers. For starters, I am left wondering if these men had been better cared for; would it have led to a quicker end to the war? Would better medical care, even for those times, have improved morale in the field and at home? Not listed in these records, is the causes for these sicknesses, what caused these sicknesses, flu, cold, typhoid, malnutrition? Or, were there men faking it, this would have been much easier to do at the time because of the lack of medical knowledge?

Martial Law

Major General Stephen G. Burbridge, or as Confederates called him, “Butcher of Kentucky”, took command of the state of Kentucky in response to the growing problem of guerrilla campaigns.  President Lincoln had ordered martial law and Burbridge carried it out with some extremely brutal tactics.  One such tactic as a part of Burbridge’s plan to put down the guerrillas included public executions numerous people.  These people were charged with treason and other high crimes.  Some charges were unsubstantiated.

While in Special Collections, I came across an order from the Head-Quarters Military Command, for martial law in Lexington starting June 8, 1864.  This Special Order No. 1 explains to the citizens of Lexington that they are under martial law.  It also gives them two rules that they must abide by.  The first rule is that all bars and drinking establishments will be closed at 8:00 p.m. every night.  The second rule explains that all citizens must be in their homes a 9:00 p.m. and anyone caught outside after that will be arrested and put in a military prison.  A native a Lexington, Colonel Robert Wickliffe Cooper, signed the special order.  He was the commander of the 4^th Kentucky Cavalry.  The day after this document was signed, Cooper successfully defended Lexington from an attack led by a man named John Hunt Morgan who was a Confederate Brigadier General.

Special Collections is a fascinating place.  Reading history captivates me, but being able to hold it in your hands is a completely different story.  It is easy to find out about the presidentially ordered martial law in the state of Kentucky during the Civil War.  But I wouldn’t have known about the specifics of Lexington if it had not been for the documents located in Special Collections.  A primary source such as this is invaluable.

The James Rankin Mason Papers

My visit to Special Collections was quite interesting; prior to visiting I had found online what I was looking for. I found a few documents from a man named James Rankin Mason.  Mr. Mason was some type of importance to Kentucky society in the 1800's and well known throughout the community. The Collection I searched was called the “James Rankin Mason Papers, 1847-1899” it was cataloged under the civil war collection in box 1. The first document I found was a correspondence letter from Mr. Mason to his wife Eliza. In the letter Mason explains that he is doing well, and I am certain he was a soldier because the letter was on U.S. stationary, and it had Soldier’s Home; Mason was also stationed in Camp Nelson, Kentucky. Also in the letter he tells his wife to tell everyone that he is okay and well. This document in the sense is historical because it gives you a glimpse of what families were going through during the civil war. It also made me wonder what side he fought for, being from neutral Kentucky.

 June 186?

The next document I found was a letter from James Rankin Mason’s wife Eliza. Eliza tells James that she never received a ring he sent her, and that the last letter was torn and dirty when she received it. She was also reassuring him that their youngest child had not forgotten who their father was. This document was historical in the essence of the time; men were away from their families during war. Also, both documents are historical because it’s related to Kentucky and  it gives a glimpse into Kentucky’s roll into the civil war.

October 23, 1864

The civil war collection

The Civil War was a time in which brother fought against brother, and a country was split into two. Citizens in both the North and South handled the trauma and deviation that the war brought with it differently. Throughout childhood, Americans are taught of this bloody war without fully understanding the heart brake and death experienced by all. In the Eastern Kentucky Special Collections and Archives, historians as well as American citizens can see first hand accounts as to what people during this time experienced during the Civil War.

While most Americans during the Civil War kept up with key events, some followed its every move. In box one, folder two in the Civil War Collection, a little brown bank book seemed as though it was just that. The front read "First National Bank of Richmond" but held no clues as to who it's owner was. At first glance, the pages were filled with banking information as well as spending reports for the owner. However, at a second look the pages were filled with newspaper articles on reports and battles of the Civil War. Most were dated in 1863 and from a newspaper called "The National Tribune." These carefully placed and folded up articles showed the care that someone put time into finding, cutting, and preserving these articles. It had significance and importance to the owner of this book, and more than likely others during this time. They wanted to make sure either someone was safe from harm or that their side would be victorious.

Not only were people following movements in the war, but soliders were being relieved of their duties on the frontline. This same collection and folder held discharge papers for someone named Louis Wilson from February 1866. These papers vary from one solider to the other but list personal information from their time of service. In this case, it is clear that once a solider has done their time they could leave just as Wilson had done. It mentioned he had served the time needed but there would be no objection if he were to re-enlist. Soldiers were needed to participate in the war, but this shows there was a way to leave. One is able to imagine the sorrow, fear, and desperation when being drafted into the war. I imagine the happiness that this solider along with so many others who survived the war and were able to leave and return home to their families.

In conclusion, this collection of information gave a key look into ideas that are not often thought of when one thinks of the Civil War. Outlooks on the war change as examination contined. I would recommend that all Americans look into archives such as these in order to better understand there own history.

1. Unknown author, "Bank book", 1863. Civil War Collection.  (Box 1 Folder 2), Eastern Kentucky University Special Collections Archive, Richmond, Ky.

2.  United States government to Louis Wilson, February 1866, Civil War Collection. (Box1, Folder 2), Eastern Kentucky University Special Collections Archive, Richmond, Ky.

The creation of the Blockade

The very first thing that caught my eye when I sat down in the archives were the papers from Abraham Lincoln announcing the closing of the ports around the south. The announcement which took place on April 27th 1861 closed all major ports in the south. Lincoln placed his seal on the proclamation and said that the only way that it could be removed was by another presidential order. The first order called for any foreign cargo trying to enter the ports to be confiscated and would then become property of the United States. The collection contains three different orders from Lincoln that were published by the Navy department just three days before Lincoln’s assassination. The second proclamation was Lincoln fixing his mistake and allowing Key West to remain open for business. This was weird to me until I did some more research on the subject and found that the city of Key West remained in the Union despite Florida’s secession. The naval base Zachary Taylor was an important outpost for the north as they could still receive imports and then send them north along the railroad. The third proclamation involves the way that ships are being treated in foreign ports. This was an obvious reaction to United States embargo on imported goods to the south and American ships of war were being refused rights that they had previously enjoyed. All of these documents paint the picture of what Lincoln was dealing with the entire time he was in office. Lincoln goes on to tell these unnamed countries that the same actions will be taken against any and all ships that try to make port in the US. All of these proclamations were made from the president himself. Lincoln was working under war powers so he could do whatever he wanted to make sure the war would go smoothly. He continually made proclamations like this one throughout the war and they would go into effect almost immediately after they were announced.

Special Archives Research-Waste Family Letters Folder 1-Item 12

Upon my research in the special collections and archives at EKU, I ran across a folder containing a series of letters that were correspondences from the Waste family. The specific letter that I analyzed was in folder one, item 12. On the sixth of June,1862, William Waste addresses this letter to his lover and eventual wife, Sarah Waste. He begins his correspondence by apologizing for his hastiness in the last letter that he sent Sarah. He describes his deep and emotional longing to be reunited with Sarah. William is an infantryman for The Union, and he blames the war for his painful separation from Sarah. William refers to the war as an "unholy rebellion", but doesn't regret enlisting in the army to defend his country from the forces in the South. I feel William's struggle between missing Sarah and the obligation to stay and fight for The Union, was characteristic of many men who left the people they loved to fight in The Civil War. William is very descriptive in describing his emotions, which I feel puts into context all of the tragedy that was felt throughout the war by so many Americans.

    Towards the end of the letter William describes the 4th of July celebrations that occured in his infantry two days prior to writing his letter. William says, "The fourth passed off very quietly here", in describing the 4th of July celebrations. He states that a national salute was fired by the infantry, but that was about the only significant thing that occured. In the timeframe that this letter was written, the war was nearing a close, and William's descriptions of The Independence Day celebrations outlined the seriousness that the infantry felt at that time. They had no time for celebrations, they only wished the war to be done and over with so they could return home. In the closing sections of the letter, William describes an historically significant event that offers us insight into some of the skirmishes and battles that were occurring. He states that his infantry has received welcome news that morning that The Union Army of The Potomac had defeated Confederate forces in a major battle. The Union forces were led by Meade and they defeated Lee's army while capturing, "20,000 prisoners and 118 pieces of Artillery". William is referring to none other than The Battle of Gettsyburg, which was a huge victory for the North. William's description of receiving this news is historically significant because it offers insight into the morale and hope of the troops that was caused by receiving the news of The Union Victory. This battle effectively ended Lee's Northern Offensive, and sealed the fate of The Confederacy. William closes in saying that he feels that a few more Union victories will end the War, so he may return home to the Woman he loves.

Life does not stop for a War

In a historical concept it is easy to forget that in the midst of the political turmoil of the years preceding war and during the bloody fighting that in other places life goes on, much as it did before.  Such things are made clear when you read the documents within the Major Family Correspondence records from the time frame within the Civil War.  Later in the year the first of Douglas-Lincoln Debates would be held and a mere eight days previous the Marais des Cygnes massacre happened Bloody Kansas an unidentified families personal correspondence shows that in the prewar year of 1858 that despite all of this the tension between North and South was not a major concern of theirs.  The same goes for the next document written in the middle of the war also from the Unidentified Major family letters in 1863 in which the only way one could tell a war was happening was who the letter was addressed to.  

The first letter chronologically is perhaps one that exemplifies why some people can call writing letters a lost art.  Sewn into the top of each page of the letter is a flattened plant or flower, that the unknown woman sent to her cousin Sam.  The letter in detail goes about her travels and how her friend Lucy is whom it seems the unknown woman is playing matchmaker for the two of them.  Even how the woman scolded Sam for not noticing something about her appearance during their last meeting.  Despite the difficulty in deciphering the letter to a modern reader who is not used to reading handwritten cursive on a daily basis the love and care in the letter is undeniable.  Also due to it's length it would seem that if the growing tension between North and South were a major concern for the family it would be mentioned.  

The second letter I unfortunately do not have name only the addressee title which is a Major.  However the letter itself is almost entirely legible and easily readable as the writer seemed to only take liberties with his writing on names.  He was talking about establishing a "house" which I can only assume to mean a business of some kind as he later goes on to talk about hiring wage workers a 100 dollars for the year for wages and how it would be trouble within a years time to sell "a very large amount of goods."  

The two items are of not a great source of scholarly research, there will likely never been a thirty page research dissertation on these individuals and their actions.  However it is the people like this, living their lives the best they could at the time given the circumstances they lived in that lived in most of the country.  I find it very easy to forget sometimes when looking at battles or history over the years to forget that their were millions of normal people living during this time who don't so much as get a footnote in history.  Documents like these are our only ties to this kind of history.  

Civil War and Reconstruction Blog: 

General Order NO. 70 and Declaration of Martial Law 

          General Order NO. 70 was issued by Brigadier-General Buell, who was in the Commanding Department of the Ohio, and Brigadier-General O.M. Mitchell, Commanding on February 19, 1862.  The first part of the order is from Brigadier-General Buell to his soldiers in the Army of Ohio, Third Division.  Brigadier-General Buell is recognizing everything that his soldiers have done by acknowledging they have marched 40 miles in twenty eight and a half hours, by praising them for their victory and saying they had accomplished triumph in northern Kentucky, and acknowledging that they had carried their own luggage for miles while following a "retreating and panic stricken foe".  Brigadier-General Mitchell then says that this division has nothing to fear in battle because their energy and prowess would be tested to a far less extent.  He then goes on to say that he feels a "perfect confidence that the high estimate placed upon your power, endurance, energy and heroism is just."  He then says that he trusts they feel the same as him in that "nothing is done while anything remains to be done."

This order was interesting because its intention was to urge the Union Army of Ohio forward.  You could almost say he was using propaganda by telling the soldiers how great they had done in battle and in their March.  At the end, with his quote about nothing being done while anything remains to be done, is reminding the soldiers that they must continue on and keep on becoming victorious.  He tells them that they should have nothing to fear, because they would be tested far less by the fighting now, because they had accomplished so much already with their prior fights and pursuit of the enemy.  It shows the level of success they were having in this area of the War at the time, and how hard the war was.  These soldiers marched forty miles in little over a day which is amazing to me.  The General is then writing to inspire his soldiers to do even more.  I felt this was a good glimpse into what soldiers went through off the battle field and an illustration of how Generals would keep soldier morale up.

          I found the flyer from Lexington, Kentucky declaring Martial Law historically significant as well.  The order for Marshall Law was issued June 8th, 1864 by Wickliffe Cooper.  The extract establishes that the Kentucky calvary has assumed command of all the forces in Lexington and vicinity, that the military has declared Martial Law in the area and no passes will be granted until a change in order, that all bar rooms will be closing at 8 P.M., and that all citizens should be in their homes anytime after 9 P.M.

I found this historically significant because it shows us what was going on in our own state at this time in the war, just 15-25 from our location right now.  The Kentucky Militia had just won Lexington and forced all intruders out.  It was also interesting to me because of Martial Law in general.  I have always found the idea of Martial Law fascinating, when is it alright for Martial Law to be declared?  And when is it okay to infringe on rights of citizens in this way?  Not many times in  United States History does our government enact Martial Law.  I find it interesting to study their reasoning in the specific cases that they do and examine why they thought it was necessary.  This happening in Lexington was interesting because it was one of the few times in in United States History where Martial Law has been declared and it shows us that what was going on in Lexington, Kentucky was extremely important.

Research in the Archives

I began my search of the archives by looking at the oversize prints and documents in box 3 of the Civil War Collection. I thought these documents would likely include military style documents, which they do, as well newspapers, posters, and other sorts of propaganda. These sources seemed as though they would give a different look into the past than personal letters and documents that make up much of the Archives’ Civil War Collection.
 In the Archives’ Civil War Collection, Box 3 Folder 3 contains the Company Muster Rolls for Col. D.W. Chenault’s 11^th KY Cavalry, CSA. These documents list all the members of the company, their rank, and when they joined the company. It is interesting that there are columns for where they are from, their age, and other bits of personal information that were left blank for each individual. I am curious whether the person recording the information was in a hurry, or what reason was given for the discrepancy. Most of the privates in this company were mustered in in September of 1862 in Richmond, Kentucky or the surrounding areas. This was around the time that confederate forces invaded Kentucky and captured the capital. It makes one wonder if these men were coerced into joining, or if they had just been waiting for an opportunity to do so. The “Remarks” section of this document is quite interesting, discussing whether someone transferred from another regiment, if and when they were wounded or killed and how, if they deserted, if they were conscripted, or if they had skills such as a surgeon or blacksmith. The Privates’ last names are often repetitive, and I assume many of these men were either brothers, cousins, or fathers and sons who joined the Confederate Army together.
 Folder 4 of Box 3 contains prints and drawings. Item 7 is a newspaper print of the Battle of Munfordville. This print does not give too much information, but Munfordville is only about thirty minutes from my home, so I thought this was a neat source to be able to see the goriness of the battle that took place in a town I have visited many times. It is interesting that this sketch was printed in a Union newspaper, and shows Confederate soldiers being thrown back from the gunfire they received charging Union lines. I would be interested to see how a Confederate Source would portray this battle, because it would most certainly show the Confederates as regal and the Union as the ones getting their tails beat.

Special Collections Research

I began my research looking at personal letters sent from soldiers to their families and letter sent to the soldiers in return. Most of the documents were pretty difficult to decipher due to the writing and age of the papers. After failing to find much readable materials in that collection of papers I moved onto a file that was full of pictures from magazines and articles from newspapers that were much easier to read and gather information from.

The first documents were pictures from either a magazine or newspaper in New York, I didn’t see anything exactly stating were these pictures were from or what the original source was. The pictures themselves were cartoons mocking political figures. The first picture depicted a Union general holding up Confederate President Jefferson Davis off the ground by the throat. The Union general was drawn a large strong man who’s strength was greatly exaggerated. David was shown as weak small man with a large cartoonish head. The cartoons show how the opposing sides viewed each other even if slightly exaggerated. Another interesting picture was a picture drawn of Jefferson Davis that held one way showed his face from the side with the caption “Jefferson Davis going in” and then when the picture was flipped sideways was a picture of jackass that captioned “Jefferson Davis going out.” It’s interesting to me because this kind of political mockery still takes place today and it just shows the political battles today are nothing new.

I also found a picture of songs written by families during the war from a magazine or newspaper called “Chas. Magnus” in New York. One was titled “Bring My Brother Back to Me.” The opening lyrics were “Bring my brother back to me, when this war is done; give us all the joys we shared, ere it had begun. There was also one titled “Willie We Have Missed You.”

The last part of the collection I looked at was the party platforms from the Democratic and Republican conventions in 1864 when Lincoln ran against McClellan. The Democrats main points were failure of the Republicans to lead, restoring states rights, preserving the federal union, and ending the suppression of rights by the Republicans. The Republicans main points were not compromising, loyalty to their country and constitution, respect and honoring the flag, and ending slavery and rights to people regardless of color.

These are the most interesting findings to me personally out of the collections I looked through. 

Stephen Foster War Songs

The two items I found while visiting the special collections and archives room here at EKU where two original songs written by Stephen Foster. A man rendered the father of American music with many notable works like “Oh Susana” and “My Old Kentucky Home” also had written songs like “Bring my Brother Back to Me” and “Willie We Have Missed You”. Both during the civil war time when men where serving the union and confederacy at a very young age. Leaving their wives, mothers, children, and younger siblings to carry out the daily tasks at their home. Not knowing if they’re family member has survived from one battle to the next. They clung to the hope of each day that they would see them again.

Each song’s lyrics, both written by Stephen Foster offer a different perspective on families wanting their men home from war. In “Bring my Brother Back to Me’’ written in 1864 in my opinion was written in a sister who loved and missed her brother perspective the lyrics talk about; bringing her brother back after the war is done, and the tears shed daily by not knowing his fate. In the sisters perspective she just want to continue with life with her family before the war had begun. This differs a little from the points that Foster’s “Willie We Have missed you are trying to make. I think that this sing was written in the angle of a wife and mother who was awaiting the arrival of her husband coming home from war, and despite the doubtfulness of those around her she kept the hoping and believing that he would return.

I found both of the songs of these songs to be interesting because even though there was a war going on foster being a man from Pennsylvania never denounced the war as being something bad. He did not write his songs in the views of families that were angry, but instead he showed a heavy emotion and sense of hope that these men fighting would one day return home to be with their families.