We’ve come to the end of Season 2! We’re wrapping up with a little bit more about John’s life in service and what he did after the war. To the Letter is a podcast brought to you in collaboration with University Libraries and the eLearning and Emerging Technologies Department’s Digital Studio at GVSU. On this podcast, … Continue reading To The Letter S2 E13: Mustering Out

It takes a long time for the Civil War to be officially over in every state and territory. In this episode we take a look at how the end of the war actually came about. To the Letter is a podcast brought to you in collaboration with University Libraries and the eLearning and Emerging Technologies Department’s … Continue reading To The Letter S2 E12: The End of the War

Once again we’re talking about medical needs during the Civil War. This time, we investigate what the U.S. Sanitary Commission was all about. To the Letter is a podcast brought to you in collaboration with University Libraries and the eLearning and Emerging Technologies Department’s Digital Studio at GVSU. On this podcast, we bring correspondence from GVSU’s … Continue reading To The Letter S2 E11: U.S. Sanitary Commission

In this episode we’re talking about the roles of Black men and women in the military during the Civil War. To the Letter is a podcast brought to you in collaboration with University Libraries and the eLearning and Emerging Technologies Department’s Digital Studio at GVSU. On this podcast, we bring correspondence from GVSU’s Special Collections alive. … Continue reading To The Letter S2 E10: Black Soldiers in the Army

Episode 9 is all about the election of 1864, in which only 25 states participated! To the Letter is a podcast brought to you in collaboration with University Libraries and the eLearning and Emerging Technologies Department’s Digital Studio at GVSU. On this podcast, we bring correspondence from GVSU’s Special Collections alive. In each episode you will … Continue reading To The Letter S2 E9: Vote for President!

We couldn’t resist talking about how the mail system worked! While delays in communication were a common theme in Season 1, John hasn’t talked too much about the mail yet. In Episode 8, we take a look at how letters were delivered, especially as troops moved into enemy territory. To the Letter is a podcast brought … Continue reading To The Letter S2 E8: It’s So Rare We Get Any Mail Here

This episode explains “Bushwhackers” and “Jayhawks”. Bushwhackers was the term given to pro-Confederate secessionist guerillas of Missouri, in particular, but was also applied to other guerilla fighters in Kentucky, Tennessee, northern Virginia, and even California. Jayhawks, in contrast, were pro-Union guerilla fighters. Several famous outlaws in the West got their start as bushwhackers, including Frank … Continue reading To The Letter S2 E7: Bushwhacking

In this episode we delve into the aftermath of Civil War medicine. What happened to soldiers wounded in action? To the Letter is a podcast brought to you in collaboration with University Libraries and the eLearning and Emerging Technologies Department’s Digital Studio at GVSU. On this podcast, we bring correspondence from GVSU’s Special Collections alive. In … Continue reading To The Letter S2 E6: The Invalid Corps

In today’s episode we discuss the capture of the 19th Michigan Infantry by Confederate troops near Brentwood, Tennessee and how prisoners of war were treated during the Civil War. To the Letter is a podcast brought to you in collaboration with University Libraries and the eLearning and Emerging Technologies Department’s Digital Studio at GVSU. On this … Continue reading To The Letter S2 E5: Prisoner of War

In Episode 4, we continue to talk about medical treatment during the Civil War – particularly the role that women in religious organizations played. The Sisters of Charity, Daughters of Charity, Sisters of the Holy Cross, and Sisters of St. Joseph all provided volunteer nurses. To the Letter is a podcast brought to you in collaboration … Continue reading To The Letter S2 E4: Sisters of Charity