Letter (1865) from a pro-Union Southern woman in Georgia to her sister living in the North.
This letter by a pro-union author identified only as "Mitt" was written on May 28th, 1865, the day the Civil War ended. The letter was sent to the author's sisters who lived in the North during the war. The letter speaks of the Union blockade, a Union strategy to block the Confederacy from trade. The blockade occurred from 1861-1865 and consisted of approximately 500 ships monitoring 3,500 miles of coastline. The blockade reduced the cotton export by 95%, lowering the value of the Confederacy's currency and causing great damage to its economy.
This letter, written to a sister living in the North, reflects the views of a pro-Union woman residing in Gainesville, Georgia, at the close of the Civil War. She tells of the suffering in the South due to the blockade and to the demands of returning soldiers. Among the subjects discussed in the letter are losses by Southerners who invested in Confederate bonds, efforts of ladies in preparing clothes for soldiers and her refusal to participate in this activity, murder of Union prisoners by the home guard, plans of neighbors to move to Mexico, lack of new clothes as a result of the war, and family news. The writer, identified only as "Mitt," expresses her pleasure at the outcome of the war and speculates as to whether enslaved people would actually be freed and Southern land confiscated.
Loaned by Miss Jean Lightfoot
Processed by D. Lennon, September 1967 and N. Hardison, January 2023
Encoded by Apex Data Services
Descriptions updated by Jennifer Overstreet, July 2020
Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.