"Sarah and Sullivan Ballou"

One of the most touching pieces in Ken Burns' PBS television documentary, "The Civil War," was the stirring letter from Major Sullivan Ballou to his wife, Sarah, just before the Battle of Bull Run.

Who these people were before the war, and what happened to Sarah after the war, are some of the topics touched on in a newly published epic, For Love and Liberty. The author, Robin Young, will be our speaker this month.

Robin became interested in the Civil War after viewing this landmark documentary in 1990. A historian by training, she has researched the Civil War for the last twelve years, and this book for the last four.

Booklist Reviews called For Love and Liberty "the heartfelt biography of the heretofore anonymous soldier who penned one of history's most poignant love letters. Who was Major Sullivan Ballou and who was the woman who inspired his eloquent missive? Young answers these and other questions in astonishing detail. Utilizing a variety of primary sources, including letters, diaries, speeches and military reports, she reconstructs the . . .life and times of the Rhode Island Major who lost his life at the First Battle of Manassas-Bull Run. Prefacing the Ballou's story with his famous letter, she manages to do justice to the man, the family he adored, and the cause he willingly sacrificed his life to promote. This absorbing Civil War biography will appeal to both scholars and casual readers."

Retired from a career with the City of Los Angeles and the California University system, Ms. Young re-enacts with, and is a former board member of the American Civil War Society.

Come join us as we hear a very human side of the Civil War story. Robin will have copies of her new book for sale, and would be happy to autograph one for you.

Janet Whaley
Program Chair

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