This is an excerpt from a letter from a Union solder, Sullivan Ballou written to the love of his life, wife Sarah during the Civil War. We can learn a lot from this soldier. We are reminded to treat one another with love while we live on this earth; to love one another hard. We learn the importance of expressing our true feelings while we are able, the importance of sharing ourselves unconditionally during good times and bad. Here's to the Sarah in all of us. Here is to delivering our love message with safe passage, with intentional haste and without any purposeful delay.
Sarah my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me with mighty cables that nothing but Omnipotence could break; and yet my love of Country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me irresistibly on with all these chains to the battle field.
The memories of the blissful moments I have spent with you come creeping over me, and I feel most gratified to God and to you that I have enjoyed them for so long. And hard it is for me to give them up and burn to ashes the hopes of future years, when, God willing, we might still have lived and loved together, and seen our sons grown up to honorable manhood, around us. I have, I know, but few and small claims upon Divine Providence, but something whispers to me—perhaps it is the wafted prayer of my little Edgar, that I shall return to my loved ones unharmed. If I do not my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battle field, it will whisper your name. Forgive my many faults and the many pains I have caused you. How thoughtless and foolish I have often times been! How gladly would I wash out with my tears every little spot upon your happiness . . .
But, O Sarah! If the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen around
those they loved, I shall always be near you; in the gladdest days and in the
darkest nights . . . always, always, and if there be a soft breeze upon your
cheek, it shall be my breath, as the cool air fans your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by. Sarah do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait for thee, for we shall meet again . . .
Ballou was mortally wounded at First Manassas. His right let was partially torn off by a Confederate artillery shell. The remainder of his leg was amputated and Ballou died a week later. Ballou’s letter to Sarah was never mailed but was found in his trunk after he died. Rhode Island Governor William Sprague recovered the letter and delivered it to Sarah.
Source: Sullivan Ballou letter, which was made famous as part of Ken Burns’ Civil War documentary
Sarah my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me with mighty cables that nothing but Omnipotence could break; and yet my love of Country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me irresistibly on with all these chains to the battle field.
The memories of the blissful moments I have spent with you come creeping over me, and I feel most gratified to God and to you that I have enjoyed them for so long. And hard it is for me to give them up and burn to ashes the hopes of future years, when, God willing, we might still have lived and loved together, and seen our sons grown up to honorable manhood, around us. I have, I know, but few and small claims upon Divine Providence, but something whispers to me—perhaps it is the wafted prayer of my little Edgar, that I shall return to my loved ones unharmed. If I do not my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battle field, it will whisper your name. Forgive my many faults and the many pains I have caused you. How thoughtless and foolish I have often times been! How gladly would I wash out with my tears every little spot upon your happiness . . .
But, O Sarah! If the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen around
those they loved, I shall always be near you; in the gladdest days and in the
darkest nights . . . always, always, and if there be a soft breeze upon your
cheek, it shall be my breath, as the cool air fans your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by. Sarah do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait for thee, for we shall meet again . . .
Ballou was mortally wounded at First Manassas. His right let was partially torn off by a Confederate artillery shell. The remainder of his leg was amputated and Ballou died a week later. Ballou’s letter to Sarah was never mailed but was found in his trunk after he died. Rhode Island Governor William Sprague recovered the letter and delivered it to Sarah.
Source: Sullivan Ballou letter, which was made famous as part of Ken Burns’ Civil War documentary
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