The Folly and the Madness: The Civil War Letters of Captain Orlando S. Palmer, Fifteenth Arkansas Infantry (Voices of the Civil War) - Softcover
Synopsis
With a closeness perhaps unique to siblings orphaned young, Orlando and Artimisia “Missie” Palmer exchanged intimate letters throughout their lives. These letters (interspersed with additional letters from Oliver Kennedy, the Palmers’ first cousin) offer a clear and entertaining window into the life and times of a junior Confederate officer serving in the Western Theater of the Civil War.
Though he initially felt Americans would see “the folly and the madness” of going to war, Orlando enlisted as a private in what would become Company H of the First (later Fifteenth) Arkansas Infantry, informing his sister that he had volunteered “not for position, not for a name, but from patriotic motivation.” However, he was ambitious enough to secure an appointment as Maj. Gen. William Joseph Hardee’s personal secretary; he then rose to become his regiment’s sergeant major, his company’s first lieutenant, and later captain and brigade adjutant. Soldier letters typically report only what can be observed at the company level, but Palmer’s high-ranking position offers a unique view of strategic rather than tactical operations.
Palmer’s letters are not all related to his military experience, though, and the narrative is enhanced by his nuanced reflections on courtship customs and personal relationships. For instance, Palmer frequently attempts to entertain Missie with witticisms and tales of his active romantic life: “We have so much to do,” he quips, “that we have no time to do anything save to visit the women. I am in love with several dozen of them and am having a huge time generally.”
The Folly and the Madness adds depth to the genre of Civil War correspondence and provides a window into the lives of ordinary southerners at an extraordinary time.
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About the Author
Thomas W. Cutrer is the prolific author or editor of more than a dozen books on the American Civil War and the American Southwest. He is professor emeritus of history and American studies at Arizona State University.
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The Folly and the Madness: The Civil War Letters of Captain Orlando S. Palmer, Fifteenth Arkansas Infantry (Voices of the Civil War)
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Folly and the Madness : The Civil War Letters of Captain Orlando S. Palmer, Fifteenth Arkansas Infantry
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Folly and the Madness : The Civil War Letters of Captain Orlando S. Palmer, Fifteenth Arkansas Infantry
Published by
University of Tennessee Press, 2023
ISBN 10: 1621908410
ISBN 13: 9781621908418
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The Folly and the Madness: The Civil War Letters of Captain Orlando S. Palmer, Fifteenth Arkansas Infantry (Voices of the Civil War)
Published by
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ISBN 10: 1621908410
ISBN 13: 9781621908418
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The Folly and the Madness
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Paperback. Condition: New. With a closeness perhaps unique to siblings orphaned young, Orlando and Artimisia "Missie" Palmer exchanged intimate letters throughout their lives. These letters (interspersed with additional letters from Oliver Kennedy, the Palmers' first cousin) offer a clear and entertaining window into the life and times of a junior Confederate officer serving in the Western Theater of the Civil War. Though he initially felt Americans would see "the folly and the madness" of going to war, Orlando enlisted as a private in what would become Company H of the First (later Fifteenth) Arkansas Infantry, informing his sister that he had volunteered "not for position, not for a name, but from patriotic motivation." However, he was ambitious enough to secure an appointment as Maj. Gen. William Joseph Hardee's personal secretary; he then rose to become his regiment's sergeant major, his company's first lieutenant, and later captain and brigade adjutant. Soldier letters typically report only what can be observed at the company level, but Palmer's high-ranking position offers a unique view of strategic rather than tactical operations. Palmer's letters are not all related to his military experience, though, and the narrative is enhanced by his nuanced reflections on courtship customs and personal relationships. For instance, Palmer frequently attempts to entertain Missie with witticisms and tales of his active romantic life: "We have so much to do," he quips, "that we have no time to do anything save to visit the women. I am in love with several dozen of them and am having a huge time generally."The Folly and the Madness adds depth to the genre of Civil War correspondence and provides a window into the lives of ordinary southerners at an extraordinary time. Seller Inventory # LU-9781621908418
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The Folly and the Madness
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paperback. Condition: Very Good. Softcover. Overall very good condition. Cover is clean with matte finish. The binding is tight. 230 pages. Pages are clean and crisp. Title page is not dated. Copyright is dated 2023. Small smudged marking in the top right corner of half-title page. We ship every day from a real neighborhood bookstore. This description is written by an actual person, who is holding the book in front of them to make sure it?s properly described. Please contact us with questions or if you would like to see photographs. Seller Inventory # F-11850
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The Folly and the Madness (Paperback)
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Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. With a closeness perhaps unique to siblings orphaned young, Orlando and Artimisia Missie Palmer exchanged intimate letters throughout their lives. These letters (interspersed with additional letters from Oliver Kennedy, the Palmers first cousin) offer a clear and entertaining window into the life and times of a junior Confederate officer serving in the Western Theater of the Civil War. Though he initially felt Americans would see the folly and the madness of going to war, Orlando enlisted as a private in what would become Company H of the First (later Fifteenth) Arkansas Infantry, informing his sister that he had volunteered not for position, not for a name, but from patriotic motivation. However, he was ambitious enough to secure an appointment as Maj. Gen. William Joseph Hardees personal secretary; he then rose to become his regiments sergeant major, his companys first lieutenant, and later captain and brigade adjutant. Soldier letters typically report only what can be observed at the company level, but Palmers high-ranking position offers a unique view of strategic rather than tactical operations. Palmers letters are not all related to his military experience, though, and the narrative is enhanced by his nuanced reflections on courtship customs and personal relationships. For instance, Palmer frequently attempts to entertain Missie with witticisms and tales of his active romantic life: We have so much to do, he quips, that we have no time to do anything save to visit the women. I am in love with several dozen of them and am having a huge time generally.The Folly and the Madness adds depth to the genre of Civil War correspondence and provides a window into the lives of ordinary southerners at an extraordinary time. With a closeness perhaps unique to siblings orphaned young, Orlando and Artimisia Missie Palmer exchanged intimate letters throughout their lives. These letters offer a clear and entertaining window into the life and times of a junior Confederate officer serving in the Western Theater of the Civil War. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9781621908418
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The Folly and the Madness: The Civil War Letters of Captain Orlando S. Palmer, Fifteenth Arkansas Infantry (eng)
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ISBN 13: 9781621908418
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