From the Heart: Love Letters and Stories from the Civil War

Eloquently written letters were part of Victorian era courtship, and continued even after a couple's marriage.

Today, no form of communication is more important, more romantic—and more in danger of being lost—than the written word. Text-messaging has unfortunately taken over as the number one way to communicate, but that doesn't mean we can't learn something from the beautiful and elegant writings of the past.

Letters written during the Civil War often contained accounts of battles, life in camp, and general news, but many—even the ones penned by historical figures that we think of as strong, unemotional, and intrepid—are sweet, poignant, and heartfelt missives to their loved ones at home.

In this short book you will find a few of the heartwarming stories of everlasting love that historical fiction author Jessica James stumbled upon while doing research for her first Civil War novel Shades of Gray.

In the midst of the chaos of today's society, it may be hard to imagine the type of devotion that plays out in these letters.

One would not expect, after all, to hear sweet murmurings of love from some of the most renowned soldiers to come out of the war—warriors with names like J.E.B. Stuart, Stonewall Jackson and George Pickett, to name a few.

Readers of any genre will appreciate the beautiful use of the English language, written in a way that brings the emotions of the past back to life