The Hugh R. Garden Civil War Correspondence spans the years 1861-1865 with the bulk of the correspondence from 1861. Garden enlisted on April 8, 1861 and served at the taking of Fort Sumter (April 12-14, 1861). The first letter dated April 13 is probably from 1861 since it is written from Morris Island and describes the bombardment of Fort Sumter.
The majority of letters were written to Garden by his second cousins, Ella and Constance (Connie) Burroughs, his sister Frances, or his mother. Connie may have been his sweetheart based on the tone of her letters, but, her poor health is described by her sister Ella in multiple letters; Connie died on September 30, 1861. The two letters from 1864 and one from 1865 are written to Garden’s mother.
One letter is addressed to Hugh’s brother, Alester (Allie). Alester was wounded on May 3, 1863 during the siege of Suffolk and died of his wounds on May 25, 1863.
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