One of the classic pieces of Civil War literature is the account left by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., about looking for his wounded son (the future Supreme Court justice) after Antietam. Young Holmes was an officer in the famed 20th Massachusetts; although later he would speak about how his heart was “touched by fire” by the conflict,in 1864 he had seen enough of the war to go home.
The senior Holmes’s story appeared in the December 1862 issue of The Atlantic, and you can read it here.
 | John Foskett on Forty Year Reunion: Bruins Ver… |
 | SF Walker on The American Civil War on… |
 | Norm Crosby on Forty Year Reunion: Bruins Ver… |
 | Al Hintz on Forty Year Reunion: Bruins Ver… |
 | rcocean on The Civil War: The Third Year… |
| SF Walker on The American Civil War on… |
| SF Walker on The American Civil War on… |
 | Pat Young on The Civil War: The Third Year… |
 | Mark on The Civil War: The Third Year… |
 | ironrailsironweights on The American Civil War on… |
 | mitchell werksman on The Civil War: The Third Year… |
 | Jim Miller on The Civil War: The Third Year… |
 | neukomment on The American Civil War on… |
 | Brad on The American Civil War on… |
 | Al Mackey on The Civil War: The Third Year… |
Great article. I think the father and son had a falling out later when the “Boy” quit after his 3 year enlistment was up in 1864. After 3 years and 3 wounds he felt he’d done his bit. The father disagreed.