Widows by the Thousand

This collection of letters written between Theophilus and Harriet Perry during the Civil War provides an intimate, firsthand account of the effect of the war on one young couple. Theophilus Perry was an officer with the 28th Texas Cavalry, a unit that campaigned in Arkansas and Louisiana as part of the division known as Walker’s Greyhounds. Letters from Theophilus Perry describe his service in a highly literate style that is unusual for Confederate accounts. He documents a number of important events, including his experiences as a detached officer in Arkansas in the winter of 1862-1863, the attempt to relieve the siege of Vicksburg in the summer of 1863, mutiny in his regiment, and the Red River campaign up to early April 1864, just before he was killed in the battle of Pleasant Hill. Conversely, Harriet Perry’s writings allow the reader to witness the everyday life of an upper-class woman enduring home front deprivations, facing the hardships and fears of childbearing and childrearing alone, and coping with other challenges resulting from her husband’s absence. The fourth volume in the Civil War in the West series, Widows by the Thousand elucidates aspects of the war in the western states and territories. By using U.S. census records, service records, and other sources to identify the people mentioned in the letters, Johansson makes a significant contribution to the literature. And by placing the letters in the context of the Civil War, she has revealed a fascinating portrait of the impact of the conflict on one family that suffered tragedy and loss.