The Saratoga County History Center is pleased to sponsor a presentation on the Civil War letters of Saratoga County resident, Alonzo Bump, by David Handy, author of the recently released book Theas Few Lines: The Civil War Letters of Private Alonzo D. Bump, 77th New York State Voluntary Infantry on Thursday, September 26 at 7 pm at Brookside Museum in Ballston Spa.
The letters, compiled in part from the collection of the History Center at Brookside Museum, provides a rich account of the experience of an upstate New Yorker who left home to fight for the Union during the American Civil War. Alonzo D. Bump lived in the thriving cotton mill
community at Victory, the home of the Saratoga Victory Manufacturing Company where he was employed as a weaver. With the desire to, “go down to see the world,” Alonzo left behind his wife Mary and his three-year-old daughter Mattie. Private Bump’s letters were primarily written to Mary, though a few were directed to his mother, mother-in-law, and his two sisters-in-law.
His letters reveal a deep love shared with Mary. For Alonzo, composing letters served as the primary instrument whereby he maintained his emotional ties with Mary and had a powerful therapeutic benefit for the married couple. Exchanging letters helped to mollify the geographic
distance between Alonzo and Mary. He wrote about camp life, poor rations, disease, marching, combat, desertion, commanding officers, the enemy, military pay, sex, prostitution, pornography, and African Americans. The reader will come away with a deeper understanding of the common soldier’s experience during the Civil War.
“Alonzo Bump’s letters are a spectacular example of wartime correspondence and a jewel in the collection of the Saratoga County History Center,” said Anne Clothier, Education Director at Brookside Museum. “We are delighted that David Handy has worked to expand our understanding of these letters and provide additional context about the era and the experiences of local soldiers and their families.” Books will be available for signing, and pre-registration is required at https://brooksidemuseum.org/event/theas-few-lines-the-civil-war-letters-of-private-alonzo-d-bump/
David Handy is a graduate of Union College in Schenectady with a major in 19th-century history. He holds graduate degrees in Counseling, Divinity, and Social Work, a retired minister in the United Methodist Church and a psychotherapist in private practice. David is also the
author of McKean’s Sunday School Boys Go to War, published in 2014.
The Saratoga County History Center is dedicated to preserving and sharing the diverse histories of Saratoga County. In addition to Brookside Museum, the History Center offers a variety of innovative, exciting, and educational programming. Please visit the website
(www.brooksidemuseum.org) and social media accounts (@SaratogaCoHistory) for news and announcements.
