As critical as bullets and food, the transport of countless letters between soldiers and their families sustained the morale of the Union Army in the Civil War. Award-winning author Candice Shy Hooper introduces us to the man who made such a logistical feat possible: Absalom Markland.
Markland was a childhood friend of Ulysses Grant and Special Agent of the United States Post Office. During the Civil War, his movements from battlefield to battlefield were followed in the North and South almost as closely as those of generals, though he was not in the military. When he died in 1888, his death was reported in newspapers from coast to coast, though he’s all but forgotten today. Learn the story of the man who connected the home front with the battlefield and who transported the mail which preserves the individual voices of the common soldier.
This program will be hosted in-person at The Union League of Philadelphia – 140 S Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19102. Registration is required. Please register through this event to attend. Should you wish to view the program virtually, the program will be available through Founding Forward’s YouTube.
For additional information, please email info@foundingforward.org.
6:00pm Reception
6:30pm Program
Speaker:
Founding Forward’s Civil War Round Tables provides programs (primarily lectures) about the American Civil War. This includes the political, social, and military aspects of the war, with a focus on Philadelphia and the Union League’s important role in the war.
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Founding Forward is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity. The mission and work of Founding Forward is made possible through voluntary contributions.