"Rankin's editorial contributions are prodigious. In addition to penning a lengthy prologue, Rankin's chapter introductions set the stage for what follows, and he provides further context to the letters through copious bridging narrative."—Civil War Books and Authors
“Sensitively curated and expertly framed, this collection of letters between an unusually articulate set of newlyweds not only samples virtually every element of home front and battle front but also narrates a love story reflecting the writers’ growing affection for and trust in each other.”—James Marten, author of The Children’s Civil War
“The letters reveal not only how Frederic and Elizabeth Lockley surmounted the obstacles of wartime but how they managed, amid the most trying times of their lives, to keep their love for one another and their children vibrant and enduring. No other group of wartime letters between husband and wife is as large or forms such a well-connected chronicle. . . . Their letters maintain a satisfying narrative balance and provide insight into a timeless union of heart and mind.”—Edward G. Longacre, author of Unsung Hero of Gettysburg: The Story of Union General David McMurtrie Gregg
“Charles E. Rankin has done a masterful job situating the correspondence of the Lockleys within the cultural and social context of the times without losing sight of the military story. The inclusion of Elizabeth’s letters is particularly valuable given that earlier historians have largely ignored her.”—Peter S. Carmichael, author of The War for the Common Soldier: How Men Thought, Fought, and Survived in Civil War Armies
“Frederic Lockley—though committed to the Union cause—was a free thinker with a talent for storytelling. He makes an ideal representative for the heavy artillery regiments of the Union Army. This is a compelling portrait of a marriage and a family enduring the strains of war. Rankin has crafted a wonderful book from the Lockley letters. Students of the Civil War era—and not just militarists—will find much edification and food for thought in these pages.”—Gregory J. W. Urwin, author of Victory in Defeat: The Wake Island Defenders in Captivity, 1941–1945