Love and Valor : Intimate Civil War Letters Between Captain Jacob and Emeline Ritner [Paperback]

Charles F. Larimer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2000

Throughout the Civil War, Captain Jacob Ritner and his wife exchanged an extraordinary series of letters vividly depicting both life on the battlefield and at the home front.

Jacob recounts in compelling detail most of the major military events of the Western Theater: Wilson's Creek, Vicksburg, Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain, the Atlanta Campaign including the Battle of Atlanta, Sherman's March to the Sea, the Occupation of Savannah, and the Carolina's Campaign. Emeline movingly records the lives of those left behind.

Theirs is also the story of a family of Iowa abolitionists whose patriarch wrote on the day of the Emancipation Proclamation: "... if we as a nation refuse to acknowledge the rights of the black man then it may cost us our national existence."

Here is an unforgettable saga, a part of our national legacy.

Editorial Reviews

Review

As a participant in D-Day, a student of the Civil War, and a resident of rural America, I found Jacob and Emeline's letters to be a tremendously moving and literate story of the Civil War that will touch all those who read it. Jacob's stunned emotions while walking through battlefields were similar to all front line men. His dramatic writing of the war, coupled with Emeline's trial of keeping the farm, raising four small children, and dealing with family suffering, provide an emotional view of life back home that sets this book apart from other Civil War books. A must-read for both Civil War fans and general readers. (Ken Russell, Paratrooper, 82nd Airborne (D-Day) - featured in Stephen Ambrose's Americans at War and Citizen Soldiers) -- Ken Russell, Paratrooper, 82nd Airborne (D-Day) -

For history buffs, Civil War devotees, Americana enthusiasts, or even those interested in a good old-fashioned love story, this is a dream come true. The letters are superb, extraordinary ... among the best of their kind I have ever seen ... " (Philip R. Hinderberger, Historian, 17th Missouri Infantry USA, Major, USMCR (Ret.)) -- Philip R. Hinderberger, Historian, 17th Missouri Infantry USA, Major, USMCR

From the Publisher

Sigourney Press, Inc. is a new publisher that will specialize in Civil War, Iowa, and military history. Love and Valor is our first publication.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 453 pages
• Publisher: Sigourney Pr Inc (March 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967386306
• ISBN-13: 978-0967386300
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #890,015 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully Interesting correspondance!, August 16, 2000

By 

Caelidh "Caelidh" (Cincinnati, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Love and Valor : Intimate Civil War Letters Between Captain Jacob and Emeline Ritner (Hardcover)

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book!. Some times, historical correspondance can be dry. However, these letter are not! They are very readable, offering a interesting insight into the real lives of people during the turbulent era of the Civil War. Charles Larimer has done excellent research and his annotations add to the context of when the letters were written. Highly recommended. I look forward to reading his Scottish Stories from Loch Ness.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Startling insight, April 12, 2000

By 

Craig Felt (New Haven, Connecticut) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Love and Valor : Intimate Civil War Letters Between Captain Jacob and Emeline Ritner (Paperback)

As an amateur war historian, I find that all too rarely do we see the war on both sides. The hardships of everyday Americans during the Civil War were not only occurring on the battlefield, but in the homes left behind in the cornfields of Iowa. This unique perspective is presented in the heartfelt correspondence between Jacob and Emeline. A rare opportunity to behold the searching meditations of a man gripped by both love, and patriotism.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Love and Valor a Welcome Change of Pace, February 23, 2000

By 

Jeffry Burden - See all my reviews

This review is from: Love and Valor : Intimate Civil War Letters Between Captain Jacob and Emeline Ritner (Paperback)

Unlike more typical published letters or diaries, "Love and Valor" gives us the thoughts of both a soldier husband and a wife raising their family back home. Jacob and Emeline Ritner were highly literate and observant, and their expressed affection and concern for each other provide a nice counterpoint to Jacob's vivid and discerning descriptions of Wilson's Creek, the Vicksburg and Atlanta campaigns, the final push to end the war, and the assorted details of camp life that made up most of a soldier's existence. Editor Charles Larimer's family had lovingly preserved the letters for years. He has done a nice job of weaving throughout the book, excerpts from outside sources (including regimental histories of the 1st and 25th Iowa infantry regiments) to place the letters in a larger historical context. Though certain of the corresondence has been edited out, there is still plenty of detail. Don't let that put you off. You will feel that you know Jacob and Emeline by the end, and they are acquaintances worth having.