Otsego County in the Civil War: Firsthand Accounts of War Experiences

Perhaps the most pivotal event in American history, the Civil War began with the purpose of preserving the Union and ended with the abolition of slavery, costing approximately 620,000 lives in the process. This collection of letters, memoirs, newspaper articles and diary entries, from Otsego County in central New York, was first gathered together in 2005, and has now been revised and greatly expanded for the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War.

The poignant words of the soldiers who lived through the war portray how these men felt the initial excitement of enlistment, adjusted to camp life, and then experienced the despair and horrors of battle. The passionate (and sometimes mundane) newspaper articles from the home front reveal a picture of how this county dealt with the issues of slavery and abolition before the war, and provide a glimpse of how they honored the combatants after the war.

Founded in 2002, the Otsego County Historical Association is dedicated to advancing public understanding and appreciation of the unique history of Otsego County and the people, places, and events that have contributed so much to its culture and society.