This incredible July 4, 1861 letter from Philip Henry Powers (1838-1887) of the famous 1st Virginia Cavalry to his wife, Roberta Macky Smith (1831-1919), recounting his experience in the Battle of Hoke’s Run (also termed first Battle of Falling Waters) two days earlier. Though small, this battle represented the first use of cavalry in the… Read more

This letter was written by 30 year-old Susan Jane White (1831-1915), the daughter of James Patterson White (1800-1879) and Mary Ann Clarke (18xx-1873) of Belfast, Maine. Susan’s father was a ship builder and a successful businessman in Belfast where he served two years as major and two years as a state senator. His 1840 Greek… Read more