Major Sullivan Ballou's last letter to his beloved Sarah

Shared with me today by a very dear collaborator, several of us found this Civil War era love letter profoundly touching; and that's saying something--because a great many of these bygone letters are highly eloquent, moving and altogether romantic, either despite or because of the circumstances in which they were written.

While most of our politicians are doing their best, it does seem as though they lose their way more often than they find it...bickering, grandstanding, politicking, posturing, oversimplifying, overcomplicating, spinning, subterfuging, zero-summing.  And all, allegedly, under the guise of 'good faith negotiations' and at the behest of some vague, amorphous electorate who issued an oft-invoked referendum on taxing and spending.

Though I write tonight while Congress haggles over increasing the U.S. debt ceiling, leadership squabbles--and political ones--are timeless and unceasing. 

For this reason alone, I personally find Major Ballou's letter to his wife, Sarah, a great reminder of why patriots do what they do.  Or should. 

It's a clarion call, indeed--or a North Star, or a lighthouse, or a touchstone or, at the very least, a glimmer that catches one's attention and brings his eyes back to the road.

I'm sure it will do the same for you: MyVeryDearSarah.pdf (141.70 kb)