Brothers at the Front#

“The Civil War Letters of James D. and William H. Wade (1862–1864)”#

Introduction#

This site presents the preserved letters of James Duncan Wade and William Henry Wade, brothers from Williamsburgh, Long Island, New York, who served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Between 1862 and 1864, the two wrote frequently to their mother and family, chronicling daily life, battlefield experiences, and reflections on duty, faith, and home. Their words capture the personal dimensions of war—moments of humor, hardship, and hope—while offering a firsthand view of events from Fort McHenry to the Gulf of Mexico.

The collection was transcribed and edited by Melissa K. Dewey and David M. Jones in 2007, based on fragile original documents entrusted to them by William Webb Wade, a descendant of the brothers. The editors aimed to balance historical fidelity with readability, modernizing spelling and grammar where needed while preserving the unique voices and tone of the writers. Ambiguous or illegible passages were carefully reconstructed using contextual clues, ensuring that the essence of each letter remains intact.

Each letter page includes both the full transcription and a high-resolution image of the original handwritten document, allowing readers to experience the history directly as it was written more than 160 years ago.

The letters offer more than military history—they reveal the enduring connection between two young soldiers and their family, bridging the distance between battlefield and home.

“These documents are rich in history… above all, these letters are first-hand looks at the lives of Union soldiers in the field.” — Melissa Dewey & David Jones, Editors’ Note, 2007