Posted in father's day, fatherhood

In 1861 Sullivan Ballou wrote a letter…

In July 1861, Union Officer Sullivan Ballou wrote a letter to his wife, Sarah. He was facing the First Battle of Bull Run, and he knew he might well never return. Please, lease listen to the letter read on the PBS program “The Civil War.”

This is for all the children who have no father, because of the honorable sacrifice their father made in war. It is for all the wives, mourning their children’s father killed of missing in action. It is for the wives of soldiers on duty right now, apart from their family. It is for all the fathers who honorably went to war, separated from and missing their precious children.

It is for all of us who are anticipating the day when the Prince of Peace shall come, and we will study war no more. When our Father Abba Father will be with us, loving us, separated no more.

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Christian writer and Georgia teacher's aide who loves Jesus, a quiet life, art, beauty, and children.

2 thoughts on “In 1861 Sullivan Ballou wrote a letter…

  1. Dear Elizabeth
    By the time I picked up this day’s essay, the video was gone, but I was able to read more about Sullivan Ballou here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sullivan_Ballou
    How interesting to find this wonderful letter & info on him–a fellow Rhode Islander, member of the same fraternity at Brown as my father, albeit over 100 years before my father, from the Huguenot stock as one branch of my family. Best of all–I look forward to meeting him in Heaven. Wow!
    Celia in RI

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