An Everlasting Circle: Letters of the Haskell Family of Abbeville, South Carolina, 1861-1865

An Everlasting Circle presents the Civil War correspondence of the Haskells, a prominent family of Abbeville, South Carolina. This outstanding collection of eloquent, compelling letters is unusual in that it includes the correspondence of seven brothers in arms. The Haskell brothers were literate, well-educated men, most of whom became officers highly regarded for their ability, courage, and character. Their letters are particularly strong in documenting the beginning days of the war in Charleston, as well as many significant battles in Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. They also tell the love story of Alexander C. Haskell and his bride Decca Singleton, a poignant romance chronicled by Mary Chesnut in her famous diary. At the center of the story is Sophia Haskell, the mother whose unfailing love and Christian faith was a source of strength for the family through many extraordinary trials. One of the worst of those trials occurred the day she received news of the death of her brother and two of her sons, but she took consolation in knowing that she would be reunited someday with all those she loved. The messages of condolence sent to her and her husband are some of the most moving writings of their kind, and a letter that Alexander C. Haskell penned to his mother after his wife’s death has been called one of the noblest and most beautiful of the war. This is the story of a Southern family’s faith, patriotism, and devotion to each other through the most tragic, tumultuous period in American history.