Vermont's Proper Son: The Letters of Soldier and Scholar Edwin Hall Higley, 1861 - 1871

The 73 letters of Edwin Hall Higley detail his experiences in the American Civil War as a 2nd lieutenant for the First Vermont Cavalry and his life after the war as a musician and professor. Along the way he successfully defended himself against charges of cowardice stemming from an incident with Confederate raider John Mosby and survived the rigors of a prisoner of war in 1864. The letters to his close friend Calvin Day Noble also provide insights into the world of popular culture of the era punctuated by Higley's love of the theater and musical performers. Higley entered the war following his freshman year at Middlebury College in Vermont and his perspective while on the staff of officers such as George Custer and Winfield Scott Hancock reflect that level of education. Besides his view of battles such as the Shenandoah, Brandy Station and the famous Kilpatrick-Dahlgren raid, Higley gives us poignant views of camp life and the personal trials of a Civil War soldier. Vermont's Proper Son is a beneficial read for anyone interested in the Civil War or that romantic era of American life which shaped the religious, social or cultural character of men such as Edwin Higley.