thewhhcollection

The WHH Collection

This is the web site of the letters of William Harmon Harden, a Georgia Confederate soldier, later a minister, primarily his letters home during the Civil War, totaling over 50,000 words. This site also includes a complete index of individuals mentioned (over 250), locations (94), and diseases (49) as well as his personal history, a combat history of his regiment, the 63rd Georgia Volunteer Infantry, the roster of (his) Company G, photographs, sketches, maps, family genealogy, and other supporting information.

 

These letters show those who read them the several dimensions of a young, rural, Georgian loyal to family, farm, friends, God, and country. Harmon Harden writes poetry, shows humor, plays games, talks politics, considers desertion, fights diseases, shares dreams, witnesses an execution, reveals religious beliefs, and speaks of love. Possibly he is an authentic representative of his time. Because of his relative literacy, the letters paint a broader picture of his farming community of Milner, Georgia (2000 population 522). After the war, he became a Primitive Baptist minister, founding churches in Pike County and Ben Hill County, Georgia that still exist today.

What follows is the Second Edition (2008), the web equivalent of the First Edition (1998, published in hard copy with limited distribution), updated, with added improvements in the Appendices. The letters are largely self-explanatory. Where warranted, this author's commentary, in brackets and red type, provide further explanation and raise research questions for readers.

Key Words: U.S. Civil War; war letters; correspondence; Harden; 63rd Georgia; 63d Georgia; 53rd Massachusetts; 53rd Ohio; Savannah; Hanleiter Battery; Thunderbolt Battery; Fort (Ft.) Thunderbolt; Fort (Ft.) McAllister; Fort (Ft.) Wagner; Atlanta Campaign; Sherman's March; Battle of Kennesaw Mountain; Pike County, Georgia; Irwin County, Georgia; townball; Primitive Baptist.

Introduction to the Web Edition

Foreword

Table of Contents

1845 Jan 30

1859 Jan 9

1859 Feb 24

1859 Feb 26

1860 Feb 14

1861 Apr 7

1861 Oct 6

1862 Mar 1

1862 Aug 18

1862 Aug 21-22

1862 Aug 24 

1862 Sep 2 

1862 Sep 14

undated 2

1862 Sep 19

1862 Sep 21

1862 Sep 23

1862 Sep 24

undated 3

1862 Nov 3

1863 Feb 2

1863 Feb 10

1863 Feb 13

undated 4

1863 Feb 21

1863 Feb 23

1863 Jan-Feb

1863 Mar 6

1863 Mar 11

1863 Mar 20

undated 5

undated 6

1863 Mar 26

1863 Mar 30

undated 7

1863 Apr 5

1863 Apr 10

1863 Apr 18

1863 Apr 22

1863 Mar-Apr

1863 May 3

1863 May 6

1863 May 9

1863 May 16

1863 May 21

1863 May 23

1863 May 24

1863 May 28

1863 May 29

1863 May 30

1863 June 1

1863 June 8

1863 Jun 11

1863 June 13

1863 June 15

1863 June 18

1863 June 19

1863 June 24

1863 June 30

1863 May-Jun

1863 July 2

1863 July 7

1863 July 15

1863 July 18

1863 July

1863 July 26

1863 Aug  3

1863 Aug 4

1863 Aug 8

1863 Aug 10

1863 Aug 12

1863 Jul-Aug

1863 Sep 14

1863 Sep 17

1863 Sep 23

1863 Sep 24

1863 Oct 2

1863 Oct 6

1863 Oct 10

1863 Sep-Oct

1863 Nov 3

1863 Dec 6

1863 Dec 17

1863 Nov-Dec

1864 Jan 6

1864 Jan 14

1864 Jan 20

1864 Jan 23

1864 Jan 28

1864 Jan 31

1864 Feb 8

1864 Feb 14

1864 Feb 15

1864 Feb 26

1864 Jan-Feb

1864 Mar 2

1864 Mar 2a

1864 Mar 10

1864 Mar 19

1864 Mar 26

1864 Mar 31

1864 Apr 1

1864 Apr 10

1864 Apr 12

1864 Apr 17

1864 Apr 19

1864 Apr 30

1864 Aug 16

1864 Aug 24

1864 Aug 28

1865 Jan 29

1865 Feb 19

1865 Feb 22

1865 Apr 8

1865 Apr 30

1865 Oct 10

1874 Feb 12

1874 May 10

1874 May 12

1874 May 14

1874 Aug 2 

1874 Aug 12

1874 Aug 13a  

1874 Aug 13b

1875 May 27

1875 Jun 21

1880 Sep 10

1881 Nov 13

1882 Aug 18

1884 Feb 17

1884 Aug 13

1887 Oct 14

1890 Jan 25

1895 Aug 28

Postscript

Appendices