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| The cutout of the baby's hand (1864) |
The art of letter writing during the Civil War extended beyond words, as soldiers and their families found innovative and heartfelt ways to stay connected despite the distance and hardships. These letters were often adorned with drawings, decorative handwriting, and other artistic elements, serving as tangible expressions of love and longing.
Christopher Hager cited this heartwarming story about Martha Poteet of western North Carolina in his post on the Smithsonian Magazine's website. [1]
In 1864, while her husband was soldiering with the 49th North Carolina Infantry Regiment, Martha gave birth to their ninth child. A month later, she wrote to Francis with a cheerful update on her postpartum recovery - the easiest she'd ever experienced.
“I had the best time I ever had and I hav bin the stoutest ever sens I haint lay in bed in day time in two Weeks today.” [1]
Of the baby—a girl she was waiting to name until Francis came home—Martha could report no weight, as scales and doctors were rare things in the Blue Ridge.
She had a better idea. She laid the baby’s hand on scrap of paper, traced a line around it, and carefully cut it out to tuck into the envelope. Some days later, in a long-besieged trench outside Petersburg, Virginia, Francis Poteet opened that envelope and held his new daughter’s hand in his.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Francis penned a poignant reply:
would like to Come home and See you all once more in this life and See my Sweete littel baby. I doo hope and pray to god to live to git home to See it. it seemes like god has blessed every thing that I have prayed for and I doo hope that he will bless me to live to git home to See that littel Babe. when I think of it, it seems like it will kill me are [or] Brake my hart. [2]
Francis' words resonate with the longing and hope that many soldiers felt during the Civil War. His letter, like Martha's, is a testament to the power of love and the strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
The Civil War was a patchwork of torn loyalties, whispered dreams, and strange events—those forgotten moments, people, and stories that shaped a nation. This was one of them.
Mac
═══ ⚔ 𝑻𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒔 ⚑ ═══
Works Cited
[1] Hager, Christopher. "How the Civil War Taught Americans the Art of Letter Writing". Smithsonian Magazine website - January 22, 2018. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
[2] "Poteet-Dickson Letters, 1861-1902." Digital Civil War Collection, North Carolina State Archives, North Carolina. Courtesy of the North Carolina Office of Archives and History, Raleigh, North Carolina. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
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