Fred Osborne was only sixteen when he left his home in Salem, Massachusetts to fight in the Civil War. In this remarkable collection of letters, he describes the privations and hardships of camp life, as well as its excitement and camaraderie. As a member of the Massachusetts 23rd Volunteers, young Osborne saw action at New Bern, Charleston, and Petersburg. His first-hand accounts of the Burnside Expedition, Roanoke Island, and the Second Front against Richmond are particularly enlightening.
Private Osborne’s letters were discovered, after 130 years, in the house his daughter built in Sugar Hill, New Hampshire. Editor Frank B. Marcotte’s commentary places these letters in the correct historical context. It is especially interesting to note that Osborne, who fought against the South as a Union soldier, was a product of Salem, a leading port for the early slave trade. By referencing newspapers, census reports, and other historical documents, Marcotte also follows Fred Osborne’s life beyond the Civil War until his death in 1923.
About the Editor
Dr. Frank B. Marcotte grew up on a family farm in New Hampshire, where he was educated in a one-room schoolhouse. After receiving a Fulbright Scholarship, he earned a doctorate in physical chemistry. Retired from his career as a research director, Marcotte now lives in Summit, New Jersey.
PRIVATE OSBORNE, MASSACHUSETTS 23RD VOLUNTEERS:
Burnside Expedition, Roanoke Island, Second Front Against Richmond
By Frederick M. Osborne
Edited by Frank B. Marcotte
HISTORY / United States / Civil War Period (1850-1877)
304 pp. 6 x 9
15 b/w photos 37 illustrations
22 maps Notes Bibliography Index
ISBN: 9781565549654 pb