Battlefield Dispatches No. 246: 'On a bed of snow'

Thursday, December 30, 2010

During the Civil War, or for that matter in any war, thoughts of soldiers far away were often of family, home and hearth. This was especially true during the holiday seasons of Christmas and New Year's and these thoughts were often expressed in the soldier's diaries and letters to their loved ones. Also, the poetry of the day often can and did reflect the intangible thoughts of the soldiers of the Blue and Gray and it did not matter if the poem was written by a soldier or civilian. The following poems and excerpt from the diary of Lt. Charles W. Porter of the 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry describe what a Christmas was like during the Civil War and are as meaningful today because we are a nation at war.

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