Emerging Leader
The Letters of Carter Van Vleck to His Wife, Patty, 1862–1864
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"It takes an immense amt. of study to learn well the art of killing people, without getting killed yourself. And that is the great secret of war, to kill & cripple the enemy to the greatest degree with the least possible damage to those under your command. "It is a fearful yet a very pleasent study. I like it much better than I expected to & much better than any thing else I ever studied or practiced. How I should like the sad realities of war, or how I should demean myself in an actual fight, of course I have as little idea as anyone else that knows me. I might disgrace myself & family forever or might win honors worthy to be won. Circumstances as well as courage & skill would have much to do in the matter. The probabilities are that I never shall be called upon to display either courage or skill in a battle. I well may hope so, for I have no desire to see those around me to whom I have become attached by long association, drawn up to be shot down like so many beeves [cattle]. The fact that we might shoot down a like or even a much greater number, would be but a sad recompense for the loss."
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About the Book
On October 19, 1862, Lieutenant Colonel Carter Van Vleck wrote to his wife and daughter:
It takes an immense amt. of study to learn well the art of killing people, without getting killed yourself And that is the great secret of war, to kill & cripple the enemy to the greatest degree with the least possible damage to those under your command It is a fearful yet a very pleasent study I like it much better than I expected to & much better than any thing else I ever studied or practiced.
How I should like the sad realities of war, or how I should demean myself in an actual fight, of course I have as little idea as anyone else that knows me I might disgrace myself & family forever or might win honors worthy to be won.
During the next two years, the young officer would detail his Civil War experiences in intimate letters to his “whole heart’s love,” Patty, and their daughter Nellie. The letters reveal both the external challenges Van Vleck faced and his personal conflicts: the urge to eliminate slavery by serving his country well and the longing to return to his loved ones.
About the Author
Carter Van Vleck had practiced as a teacher, a merchant, a homeopathic physician, and a lawyer in the years before he enlisted in the 78th Illinois Volunteer Regiment. Acclaimed as a skilled orator, his persuasive ability had led him into local politics two years before hostilities began. As an officer, his ability to clearly recognize conflicts involving both his superiors and the men under his command and to articulate fair resolutions gained the respect of everyone with whom he came in contact.