"Although Absalom Markland's importance to the Union cause has lingered for decades in the historical shadows, Hooper's Delivered Under Fire creates the awareness that Markland deserves and gives students of the conflict a greater appreciation for one of the war's fascinating individuals who influenced its outcome."—Tim Talbott, Civil War Monitor
"Letters have become one of the bedrock sources for Civil War historians. But how did the mail get to the troops and to the folks back home? For soldiers serving under Grant, the answer was Absalom Markland. Candice Hooper has given this long neglected personage a full-length biography that he so richly deserves."—Gordon Berg, American History
"Delivered Under Fire demonstrates the significance of the United States military mail service as a community institution, apparatus of war, instrument of espionage, and mechanism for improving morale."—Kathryn Angelica, World History Encyclopedia
“Readers and writers who rely on Civil War–era letters to animate history have seldom given a thought to how such mail got delivered so reliably and promptly. Now Candice Shy Hooper has dispatched a true surprise package: the unusual and compelling life of General Grant’s military postal agent Absalom Markland, a truly unsung hero of the Union cause. . . . Here is a special delivery treat for anyone who thinks there is nothing new to learn about the Civil War.”—Harold Holzer, author of Dear Mr. Lincoln: Letters to the President
“Candice Shy Hooper weaves a riveting narrative of an important but little-known Civil War figure in Delivered Under Fire. This book informs and excites the reader. Hooper brings Absalom Markland to life with her characteristic substance and style.”—Linda Fairstein, New York Times best-selling author of The Bone Vault
“Despite Napoleon’s famous aphorism that an army travels on its stomach, historian Candice Shy Hooper demonstrates in this book that an army’s morale also depends on regular delivery of the mail. Hooper’s account of how Absalom Markland managed the U.S. Army’s mail service during the Civil War, and his role as Grant’s confidant during Reconstruction, is a valuable contribution to Civil War literature.”—Craig L. Symonds, author of Lincoln and His Admirals
“A fascinating exploration of an aspect of the Civil War that has hitherto received little attention yet was of utmost importance to the common soldier. Candice Shy Hooper’s splendid research opens the door on this new vista while her sparkling narrative makes the story come alive.”—Steven E. Woodworth, author of Nothing but Victory: The Army of the Tennessee, 1861–1865
“Candice Shy Hooper has unearthed a fascinating, previously unknown facet of [the Civil War]. In compelling fashion she shows how Markland’s astonishing ability to ensure the prompt delivery of letters from home to soldiers on the front lines provided a tremendous boost to their morale and fighting spirit, thus making this ‘messenger of joy,’ as General William Tecumseh Sherman called him, as crucially important to the Union cause as some of its more celebrated military leaders.”—Lynne Olson, author of Empress of the Nile: The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt’s Ancient Temples from Destruction
“A truly engaging account of the Civil War through the lens of an important but now forgotten figure. Absalom Markland was a noted antebellum journalist who literally delivered the mail to General Grant’s soldiers and then helped integrate the U.S. postal service after the war. This book brings to life so many aspects of the wartime experience that it should become a must-read for any devoted student of the Civil War.”—Matthew Pinsker, Pohanka Chair for Civil War History, Dickinson College
“Although little known today, Absalom Markland made sure that the average Civil War soldier and leading generals received the latest mail from the home front and the battlefield. This important work kept Union morale high and . . . cannot be overemphasized. Candice Shy Hooper’s new book only adds to her earlier study of the wives of Civil War generals and provides another important insight into the Civil War.”—John F. Marszalek, executive director of the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library
