1862 Civil War The Girl I Left Behind Me envelope and letter

  
Rare 1862 Civil War Patriotic Correspondence - Content-Rich Western Theater Soldier's Letter. A fascinating piece of Union history featuring an incredibly rare, positive military sentiment. This set includes an original Civil War patriotic envelope and letter detailing a soldier's transit down the river network toward the Western Theater front. The letter is dated'Sunday March 16th' without a year. Calendar analysis confirms March 16th fell on a Sunday only in 1862 during the Civil War. This places the soldier on a Western Theater military steamer just three weeks prior to the Battle of Shiloh. (April 6-7, 1862), one of the bloodiest and most famous battles of the war, , during the massive Union troop buildup under General Ulysses S. The letter is signed Tom B. Hory (or similar 19th-century cursive variant) to his sister. He writes while in transit via military steamer from St. Louis, Missouri, heading toward Alabama (referenced as Torrance/Florence, a major strategic hub on the Tennessee River). Unlike the vast majority of Civil War letters detailing sickness or boredom, this soldier expresses an extraordinary passion for the military lifestyle, stating. I have a great mind to join the regular army... Think I will make it my profession. Design: Multi-colored patriotic graphic depicting a Union soldier parting from his weeping wife. Features the famous wartime ballad lyric title. "The Girl I Left Behind Me". Publisher Imprint: Clear publisher credit to James Gates, Cin. (Cincinnati, Ohio), a highly collectible midwestern printer of wartime stationery. The paper is clean, intact along the fold lines, and the ink remains dark, crisp, and exceptionally legible.

The envelope is torn and shows wear/aging consistent with its journey. Please review the photos carefully to evaluate the tears. This is a premier addition for collectors specializing in the Western Theater, Civil War postal history, or the psychological history of Union volunteers.