What a story! Real-life personals as literary inspiration

Pvt. George S. Gaines, First New York Mounted Rifles

A young soldier, of two years' standing in the armies of the Republic, is desirous of conducting a correspondence with some American lady, not over 24 years of age, with the view that it may lead to a mutual desire to become personally acquainted -- that such acquaintanceship may ripen into love, and, by the consummation of our affection, two lives be blended into one; or, in the plain King's English, I am quite anxious to marry . . . None but those who are sincerely disposed to look this matter "square in the face" need reply. In regard to his personal appearance, qualifications and character, the advertiser prefers to say nothing -- a carte de visite, the contemplated correspondence and the future will disclose all that is necessary or desirable to be known on the subject . . . Address Charles P. Hanover, First New York Mounted Rifles, Suffolk, Va.

May 27, 1863

That letter, with a few others dating from the second half of the 19th century, was originally printed in the New York Herald, and these letters were reprinted on the Sunday Opinion page of the New York Times this past Valentines Day, edited by Pam Epstein, a PhD candidate at Rutgers University in New Jersey and the author of a blog called "Advertising for Love."

1st Sgt. Frank W. Mills. First New York Mounted Rifles

I was so struck by this letter that I read it aloud to my husband across the breakfast table the following morning, my eyes brimming with tears. So many thoughts simultaneously crossed my mind as I read it that Cupid might as well have tied each one to an arrow and unleashed his entire quiver at once, every dart striking my heart with a true aim.

First, the letter reminded me of the way I met my husband Scott -- he was stationed overseas. I was a NYC girl at home, looking, hoping, wishing, and wanting love. And by that point, I was open to all possibilities. Scott's first letter to me was also so, well, well-written (and what writer doesn't want an introductory love note that is perfectly spelled and grammatically correct?) that I wanted to know "Who IS this guy?"

When I read Charles Hanover's personal ad in the Times, his writing style struck me as well; his letter was so impeccably crafted, so sophisticated, that I tried to imagine your average grunt today writing something so perfectly phrased, peppered with French, and just skirting the saber's edge between florid and heartfelt.

Pvt. Allen Curtis Smith, First New York Mounted Rifles

And before I began to wonder what he might have looked like (somewhat older than advertised, perhaps, which might have accounted for the sophisticated prose, the French, the initial unwillingness to reveal any details about his looks), I thought ... did he come home?

And then, as a historical novelist I wondered, if Johnny (or rather, Charles) Came Marching Home, had he met his future wife during the war as a result of his personal ad in the New York Herald? How did their courtship play out in letters? And what happened when they finally met in person? Was one or the other of them disappointed? Delighted? Having had the best of intentions, did they eventually wed, or did reality crush their epistolary dreams? What did Charles bring back from the Civil War? Was he wounded? Physically, psychologically, or both? Could his sweetheart begin to comprehend and cope with what he had experienced?


And who was she? What was her backstory? An old maid with pragmatic dreams or a young girl with her heart open to the sky? From the North or from the South? And how would that impact their relationship? What was her family's experience of the war?



Pvt. Reuben Webb, First New York Mounted Rifles





And what if Charles didn't make it home in one piece, or as a sentient being, and what if he came home in a box instead of on two legs, or even a crutch? What happened to the widow that never was?


Have you ever read a letter (not one written by a well known or "famous" person) and thought "Wow! What a novel this would make!" If so, what was the gist of the letter that sparked your imagination. Did you write the story?







By the way, here's a link to some history on Charles Hanover's regiment. http://www.dmna.state.ny.us/historic/reghist/civil/cavalry/1stMtdRifles/1stMtdRiflesMain.htm


A foootnote to history from that site: September 6, 1865, the regiment received the designation, 4th Provisional Regiment, N. Y. Volunteer Cavalry, and its final record will be found under that head.

The regiment lost by death, killed in action, 1 officer, 18 enlisted men; of wounds received in action, 1 officer, 12 enlisted men; of disease and other causes, 4 officers, 125 enlisted men; total, 6 officers, 155 enlisted men; aggregate, 161; of whom 8 enlisted men died in the hands of the enemy.