Letters to Abigail
In contrast to the letters written
to F.W. Gunn, the letters that Charles writes to Abigail Gunn are much more
genial and friendly. This contrast can
especially be seen in the way that he begins his letters to Abigail: “Dear
Friend.” The letters that he writes to
Mr. Gunn often take a much more serious tone, and in them he often talks about
the state of the war and the people running the war. In the letters we have to Abigail, however,
he writes more about the everyday happenings and especially about the people he
knows from “Judea.” Judea was the early
name of Washington Connecticut before 1789, however, as Charles illustrates,
people continued to call the town Judea well into the 19th century. He also tends to focus more on the happenings
of Washington when writing to Abigail than when writing to Mr. Gunn.
Part of the reason his tone is so different when writing to Abigail is because she is very much like a mother, and a best friend. Compare that to Mr. Gunn who is much more a character who demands respect as a teacher and a father [see Dear Sir] and it makes sense why his tone changes. Even in modern times, our speech is much more formal around respected people than around best friends.
This change in tone helps to add to the overall value of Charley’s letters because it helps us to understand his overall character. Because he writes not only to Gunn, we get to see a glimpse of another aspect of him, and a further understanding of his relationship to the Gunn family, and Washington in general. These letters, because they highlight different aspects of the war, help us get a better understanding of what life was like for an enlisted man in the Civil War.
Part of the reason his tone is so different when writing to Abigail is because she is very much like a mother, and a best friend. Compare that to Mr. Gunn who is much more a character who demands respect as a teacher and a father [see Dear Sir] and it makes sense why his tone changes. Even in modern times, our speech is much more formal around respected people than around best friends.
This change in tone helps to add to the overall value of Charley’s letters because it helps us to understand his overall character. Because he writes not only to Gunn, we get to see a glimpse of another aspect of him, and a further understanding of his relationship to the Gunn family, and Washington in general. These letters, because they highlight different aspects of the war, help us get a better understanding of what life was like for an enlisted man in the Civil War.