Mine eyes have seen... Union soldiers in the South

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Background

Various impressions of the South were developed by Northern soldiers as moved through Southern states. The Valley of the Shadow contains letters from Franklin County, Pennsylvania soldiers who fought in numerous Southern states. Some of these letters contained descriptions of places and people in the South. These perspectives are interesting in that they represent unique first hand accounts of the South during the Civil War. Many of the soldiers who wrote these letters may have never been to the South. They had to balance many conflicting sources of information about the South from their local newspapers. Franklin County, Pennsylvania is located close to Virginia. This closeness may have also impacted Franklin County soldiers' view of the South. Many of northern soldiers may have also held emotional opinions of the South. It was most likely very difficult for Union soldiers to consider the South without their view being impacted by the animosities that war encourages.