Clara Barton's Letters And Nostalgia And The Yearning For Home

Americans are Americans despite the space between generations. In reading the letters, I found that the men and women who wrote them were just as human as the Americans of today; the letters were written by average fathers, brothers, sisters, mothers, and even youngsters who wanted what nearly every member of the army wants: to get back home. The letters provide a deeply, personal experience that simply cannot be simulated through historical accounts of a War. As they were written specifically intended for friends, parents, and siblings, they allow readers to connect with the writers on an intimate level, thus, broadening the emotional aspect of War. This is a timeless experience on account of the human weakness depicted in the letters and

Clara Barton's letter includes no mention of her own struggles, instead, her letter consists of tragic descriptions of her patients and heartfelt empathy for the families with loved ones who were either injured or even killed in War. Clara was a Nurse for Army of the Potomac who healed countless soldiers during the Civil war; She sent this letter in December of 1862. Clara aided the north in their fight to end slavery in the South, thus, she empathized solely with the northern soldier's families when she wrote the following, "Oh northern mothers wives and sisters... would to Heaven that I could bear for you the concentrated woe which is so soon to follow...". These grievant years of service are what incentivized Clara to found the American Red Cross Organization after the war. One other letter that matches the tragic theme of Clara's letter was written over 100 years later by a Lance Corporal who served in the pointless war on Vietnam; Stephen Daniel's letter has no observable recipient, notwithstanding, one could fairly consider his letter as a diary entry. He began his letter with a recollection of his day, "...Last night one more Marine died. No one will ever hear or care about it except his parents and us... ", and that particular statement summarizes the grim yet pensive tone of his letter. He ended by writing about how the dead marine's name was "Corporal Lee Clark" and that "He didn't deserve dying in a damn country not worth fightin' for...". Corporal Lee Clark died 38 days before his release from Marine Corp duties or, as Stephen put it, he had "38 days to start living again"; Moreover, Stephen reflects on the deeper meanings behind a life ending so suddenly and ended his letter with a simple phrase: "It makes you