The Left-Armed Corps - by Allison M Johnson (Paperback)

About the Book

"he Left-Armed Corps: Writings by Amputee Civil War Veterans collects and annotates a unique and little-known body of Civil War literature: narrative sketches, accounts, and poetry by veterans who lost the use of their right arms due to wounds sustained during the conflict and who later competed in penmanship contests with their left hands in 1865 and 1866. Organized by William Oland Bourne, the contests called on men who lost their right arms while fighting for the Union to submit "specimens" of their best left-handed "business" writing in the form of personal statements. Bourne hoped the contests would help veterans re-enter the work force and become economically viable citizens. Following Bourne's aims, the contests commemorated the sacrifices made by veterans and created an archive of individual stories detailing the recently ended conflict. However, the contestants and their entries also present visible evidence-in the form of surprisingly elegant or understandably sloppy handwriting specimens-of the difficulties veterans faced in adapting to life after the war and recovering from its traumas. Their written accounts relate the chaos of the battlefield, the agony of amputation, and the highs and lows of recovery. Editor Allison M. Johnson organizes the selections thematically in order to highlight issues crucial to the experiences of Civil War soldiers, veterans, and amputees, offering invaluable insights into the ways in which former fighting men understood and commemorated their service and sacrifice. The introduction describes the contests and indicates the literary and historical significance of the veterans and their writings. Chapter subjects include political and philosophical treatises by veterans, amateur but poignant poetic testaments, and graphic accounts of wounding and amputation. The Left-Armed Corps makes accessible this archive of powerful testimony and creative expression from Americans who fought to preserve the Union and end slavery"--

Book Synopsis

The Left-Armed Corps collects and annotates a unique and little-known body of Civil War literature: narrative sketches, accounts, and poetry by veterans who lost the use of their right arms due to wounds sustained during the conflict and who later competed in left-handed penmanship contests in 1865 and 1866.

Organized by William Oland Bourne, the contests called on men who lost limbs while fighting for the Union to submit "specimens" of their best left-handed "business" writing in the form of personal statements. Bourne hoped the contests would help veterans reenter the work force and become economically viable citizens. Following Bourne's aims, the contests commemorated the sacrifices made by veterans and created an archive of individual stories detailing the recently ended conflict. However, the contestants and their entries also present visible evidence--in the form of surprisingly elegant or understandably sloppy handwriting specimens--of the difficulties veterans faced in adapting to life after the war and recovering from its traumas. Their written accounts relate the chaos of the battlefield, the agony of amputation, and the highs and lows of recovery.

Editor Allison M. Johnson organizes the selections thematically in order to highlight issues crucial to the experiences of Civil War soldiers, veterans, and amputees, offering invaluable insights into the ways in which former fighting men understood and commemorated their service and sacrifice. A detailed introduction provides background information on the contests and comments on the literary and historical significance of the veterans and their writings. Chapter subjects include political and philosophical treatises by veterans, amateur but poignant poetic testaments, and graphic accounts of wounding and amputation. The Left-Armed Corps makes accessible this archive of powerful testimony and creative expression from Americans who fought to preserve the Union and end slavery.

Review Quotes

"In this thoughtfully edited collection, Allison M. Johnson highlights several examples of the entries [in penmanship contests for Union veterans] that reflect on battle, sacrifice, and a brotherhood forged through the scalpel and saw. . . . This superbly edited collection sheds extensive light on that secret history for the hundreds of U.S. soldiers who sacrificed an arm in the name of their military service."--Journal of Southern History

"The primary research Johnson put into this volume is impressive, tracking down life stories of veteran-writers to flesh out their contributions . . . The Left-Armed Corps is an accessible and interesting text, packed with rich primary sources. The book will no doubt be useful to researchers and those interested in the era, but I see its biggest potential in classroom use. Highly readable, this book will spark fascinating conversations among undergraduate and graduate students."--American Historical Review

"The Left-Armed Corps is a well-conceived and edited collection of essays. Its unique insights into the lives of Civil War veterans will inspire future studies of the disabled men who for decades after Appomattox were still America's most potent reminders of the true costs of war."--Michigan War Studies Review

About the Author

Allison M. Johnson is assistant professor of English at San José State University. She is the author of The Scars We Carve: Bodies and Wounds in Civil War Print Culture and the coeditor of Religion and Its Reformation in America, Beginnings to 1730: An Anthology of Primary Sources.