“‘Best army on the planet’ has been demoralized”

Jedediah Hotchkiss (1828-1899) to Sara Hotchkiss, May 10, 1863. Jedediah Hotchkiss Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress

We hear today that Lincoln has called out the militia of the North, fearful of our invasion, now that his “best army on the planet,” has been demoralized. Let them come on, nothing will end the war sooner, come it must that they have fighting at home and when that begins they will let us alone & peace will come. We hear also that armed men have been sent to various fronts of the west to enforce order & collisions must ensue. If there is any spirit of freedom left there they must resist-if they do not I hope they may be enslaved. The details of the battles you will get from the papers.

This blog complements the Library of Congress exhibition, “The Civil War in America.” This series of posts chronicles the sacrifices and accomplishments of those—from both the North and South—whose lives were lost or affected by the events of 1861–1865. To learn more about the object featured in this blog entry, visit the online exhibition.

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