Sullivan Ballou letter fake?
rosarosaef
heartless, but the Sullivan Ballou letter strikes me as being
deliberately manipulative... the work of a propagandist rather than a
loving spouse. Has this letter ever been authenticated? No other
missives from this poet-warrior? He was just kissed by the Muse one
night? I know that the Burns' writing staff changed it 'for effect' in
the documentary , but even the unabridged version seems like the
contrived answer to a Rhode Island army recruiter's prayers after the
slaughter at Manassas. My question: does anyone know if this thing
ever contained any Sullivan Ballou, or is it pure ballou-ney?
Will Keene
You ask "No other missives from this poet-warrior?"
His death a week later cut short his letter writing.
mike stone
>
Try reading up on some unquestionably genuine letters of the period.
That kind of purple prose was fashionable then. There is no particular reason
to doubt the letter
Bruce Catton quotes one from a Confederate soldier, declaring that if the South
loses he does not wish to live to be 21, since there is no point being a
citizen in a conquered country. According to Catton, the author was killed in
action, so probably getting his wish
--
Mike Stone - Peterborough England
The gap between genius and insanity is measured in success.
Cash
The letter is real. It exists. It is in the Chicago Historical
Society. Ballou's widow moved to Chicago after the war and that's why
the letter is there.
Bruce Catton's researcher found the letter, but unfortunately Catton
got the name wrong.
Historian Ed Longacre found the letter in the 1970s and corrected the
name in an article he wrote for Yankee Magazine.
Regards,
Cash
James F. Epperson
We have discussed this issue in the past, and while I do not claim to be
the least bit of an expert, I do recall that a strong case can be made
that the letter is a post hoc construction. A Google search of this NG
ought to turn up the previous discussions.
JFE
Beagle
University in the Civil War: A Memorial 1868 pp105-7
"rosarosaef" <rosar...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
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Beagle
and the National Law School. Admitted to RI Bar in 1853 was Clerk to RI Ho
of Reps 1854-6 and Speaker of the House 1857. Judge Advocate of RI Militia
in 1861.
"rosarosaef" <rosar...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
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Cash
--------------
Bruce Catton cites the letter on the last page of his _The Coming
Fury,_ only he calls Ballou "Sullivan Bullen of Illinois." It's the
same letter, though, and Catton's footnote clearly shows it as being
contained in the Chicago Historical Society. Ed Longacre found the
letter and corrected the name to Sullivan Ballou of Rhode Island in
the 1970s.
Regards,
Cash
Joel Craig
"James F. Epperson" :
> We have discussed this issue in the past, and while I do not claim to be
> the least bit of an expert, I do recall that a strong case can be made
> that the letter is a post hoc construction.
Aren't you glad I save all this crap? Here is Bob Huddleston's post from a
few years ago:
I have done some searching and never located the original or even a
facsimile of the original. There is a handwritten copy by someone else
entered in the records of Sullivan Ballou GAR Post No. 3, in Rhode Island.
Sullivan and Sarah were very real people. Sullivan, born 3/28/1827, was
orphaned when he was about six. He was educated at Philips Andover Academy
and Brown University (they
claim him as their first graduate to die in the Civil War) and was an
attorney living in Cranston, RI in 1860. He was renting and owned $1,000 of
personal property.
Sarah Hart Shumway of Poughkeepsie, NY was born in 1835. She and Sullivan
were married in Poughkeepsie October 15, 1855. They had two children, Edgar
Fowler Ballou, born August 21, 1856, and William Bowen Ballou, born January
2, 1859.
Sullivan was mustered in the 2nd Rhode Island Infantry as major for three
years or the war on June 5, 1861. He was severely wounded by a round shot
in the leg at 1st Manassas, July 21 and left behind in the hospital at
Sudley Springs Church. His leg was amputated but he died at 4 PM, July 28,
1861 and was buried the next afternoon at the church.
Sarah received Civil War pension No. 25 on September r 25, 1862. She never
remarried and died in East Orange, NJ, April 19, 1917, aged about 82. She
was living with William Ballou at the time of her death.
When the Army of the Potomac occupied Manassas in 1862, a party of Rhode
Islanders, led by Gov. Sprague, went out to recover the bodies of Col.
Slocum and Maj. Ballou and the other Rhode Islanders killed at First
Manassas. A private had been left behind as a hospital attendant and had
buried both Slocum and Ballou. On March 21, 1862, he was able to identify
the graves.
The party discovered that members of the 21st Georgia had opened Ballou's
grave, thinking that it was Slocum's, and had burned the body. All the
Rhode Islanders found
were some ashes, bones and a few pieces of cloth. Slocum's grave was
located untouched and the two sets of remains were sent back to Rhode
Island. What was left of Sullivan is buried in Swan Point Cemetery in
Providence, RI under an elaborate obelisk with the quote, "I wait for You
There, Come to Me and Lead Thither My Children."
(Sources: CSR and Pension Records of Sullivan and Sarah Ballou; Augusts
Woodbury, _The Second Rhode Island Regiment_, Providence, 1875)
Bob
Bob Huddleston Serving Denver's Real Estate Needs Since 1978
Metro Brokers Adco Associates Office: (303) 457-9300
Toll Free: (888) 451-6376 E-Mail: ad...@rmi.net
http://www.realtorads.com/denver/bobhuddleston
RC
the inscription on his grave marker. I know this is found at the end of his
letter but is this possibly from another earlier source?
Randy
"Joel Craig" wrote...
Rich Rostrom
>Bob Huddleston's post from a few years ago:
>
> I have done some searching and never located the original or even a
> facsimile of the original. There is a handwritten copy by someone else
> entered in the records of Sullivan Ballou GAR Post No. 3, in Rhode Island.
I cannot recall where I saw this - but...
Someone made a very logical suggestion about the whereabouts
of the original letter.
It's known that Mrs. Ballou kept it by her for the rest of her
life.
The suggestion is that it was buried with her.
--
Never consume legumes before transacting whatsoever | Rich Rostrom
even in the outermost courtyard of a descendant of |
Timur the Terrible. | rrostrom@dummy
--- Avram Davidson, _Dr. Bhumbo Singh_ | 21stcentury.net
n canfield
> news:9097460a.02092...@posting.google.com...
> > I'm watching Burns' Civil War series again. Call me cold and
> > heartless, but the Sullivan Ballou letter strikes me as being
> > deliberately manipulative... the work of a propagandist rather than a
> > loving spouse. Has this letter ever been authenticated? No other
> > missives from this poet-warrior? He was just kissed by the Muse one
> > night? I know that the Burns' writing staff changed it 'for effect' in
> > the documentary , but even the unabridged version seems like the
> > contrived answer to a Rhode Island army recruiter's prayers after the
> > slaughter at Manassas. My question: does anyone know if this thing
> > ever contained any Sullivan Ballou, or is it pure ballou-ney?
> >
Took someone's advice on an earlier post and did a Google search on
"sullivan ballou." Apparently someone's made a movie suggested by the
letter, and the website gives a brief history of the letter. Don't
have the URL at hand, but a quick search would bring it up.
The letter was longer than what was presented in the Ken Burns film,
and a bit of it was re-worded. At the website, they have a transcript
of the original letter and even comparisons between the two.
I'm a member of the Chicago Historical Society, so this issue was of
especial interest. I'd never heard that they had this letter, but
suspected they would have promoted it as an exhibit. I don't think it
is in Chicago. Maybe "Bullen" is "Bullen" and not "Ballou."
n canfield
RC
"Rich Rostrom" wrote...
> "Joel Craig" wrote:
>
> >Bob Huddleston's post from a few years ago:
> >
> > I have done some searching and never located the original or even a
> > facsimile of the original. There is a handwritten copy by someone else
> > entered in the records of Sullivan Ballou GAR Post No. 3, in Rhode
Island.
>
> I cannot recall where I saw this - but...
>
> Someone made a very logical suggestion about the whereabouts
> of the original letter.
>
> It's known that Mrs. Ballou kept it by her for the rest of her
> life.
That's interesting. Who is it that said that she carried it with her? Did
she ever refer to it in writing such as letters to others?
Thanks.