Civil War Letters of Lucy Webb Hayes

Civil War Letters of Lucy Webb Hayes

When not living in her husband’s Civil War army camps in West Virginia, Lucy Webb Hayes followed troop movements in the newspapers and in letters exchanged with her husband, Rutherford B. Hayes, her brothers Dr. James and Dr. Joseph Webb, and her cousins. Her letters provide graphic descriptions of life in the field and at home in Ohio. Lucy’s letters exemplify the experiences and contributions of northern wives and mothers on the home front during the Civil War. They also reveal the fears and agonies felt by so many young mothers even as they attempted to provide their children with a loving, happy home life.

1861
April 15, 1861 - November 24, 1861

1862
January 1862 - December 30, 1862

1863
1863 - December 18, 1863

1864
January 31, 1864 - December 21, 1864

1865
January 1, 1865 - May 26, 1865