The Hour of Our Nation's Agony offers a revealing look into the life of a Confederate soldier as he is transformed by the war. Through these literate; perceptive; and illuminating letters; readers can trace Lt. William Cowper Nelson’s evolution from an idealistic young soldier to a battle-hardened veteran.Nelson joined the army at the age of nineteen; leaving behind a close-knit family in Holly Springs; Mississippi. He served for much of the war in the Third Corps of Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. By the end of the conflict; Nelson had survived many major battles; including Fredericksburg; Chancellorsville; Gettysburg; and the Wilderness; as well as the long siege of Petersburg. In his correspondence; Nelson discusses in detail the soldier’s life; religion in the ranks; his love for and heartbreak at being separated from his family; and Southern identity. Readers will find his reflections on slavery; religion; and the Confederacy particularly revealing.Seeing and participating in the slaughter of other human beings overpowered Nelson’s romantic idealism. He had long imagined war as a noble struggle of valor; selflessness; and glory. But the sight of wounded men with “blood streaming from their wounds;†dying slow; lonely deaths showed Nelson the true nature of war. Nelson’s letters reveal the conflicting emotions that haunted many soldiers. Despite his bitter hatred of the “ruthless invaders of our beloved South;†the sight of wounded Union prisoners moved him to compassion. Nelson’s ability to write about irreconcilable moments when he felt both kindness and cruelty toward the enemy with introspection; candor; and sensitivity makes The Hour of Our Nation's Agony more than just a collection of missives. Jennifer Ford places Nelson squarely in the middle of the historiographic debate over the degree of disillusionment felt by Civil War soldiers; arguing that Nelson-like many soldiers-was a complex individual who does not fit neatly into one interpretation.Jennifer W. Ford is head of special collections and associate professor at the J. D. Williams Library at the University of Mississippi; where the where the collection containing Lt. Nelson’s letters and other family documents is held.
#2771049 in Books Orbis Books 2005-03-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.22 x .47 x 6.10l; .64 #File Name: 157075649X188 pages
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. An Excellent IntroductionBy Will JeromThis is a good book. I especially can recommend it for those seeking a textbook on the issue of Just War and Christian Ethics; as that is the intent of its creation. It would also serve as a good introduction for those not well acquainted with Christianity and the Just War tradition; and are looking for a staring place. There are also the voices of some pacifists and "Just Peace" included. The writing is lucid and direct; so it is a very readable book. There is good detail and focus on how the Just War tradition emerged; as well as some Jewish and Muslim perspectives about war. While it focuses on the Catholic tradition mainly; it does have some supplements on Protestant dispositions towards war and violence (omitted were Reinhold Niebuhr and Martin Luther King Jr.; unfortunately). The book has some discussion also of terrorism and the Iraq war as well. There are numerous films and books recommended as case studies and for further reading at the end. The only weakness of the book is perhaps that it is too short. Another fifty pages (it peters out after 130) at least would have given it more impressive dimension; but for a short book it wastes no words and covers a good deal of introductory material in a responsible and thorough manner. Though not perfect; I do highly recommend it.
