Part 1 - Present the following background material (print form) to students.

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.

Part 2 - Students read letters to and from Franklin County, Pennsylvania soldiers in the Union army. Below are the names of these soldiers with an annotation (print form) on the collection from the Valley of the Shadow website.

Henry Bitner - "This collection contains letters written to Henry A. Bitner by six men who each describe the participation of Franklin Countians in the war. Alex Cressler writes from Chambersburg in the months immediately following secession and talks about the gathering of troops in and around that city. Thad Donely and William Martin report on the activities of the 130th Pa. in Virginia in 1862-63, and David Daihl and David Shoemaker's letters from Tennessee describe the positions of the 77th Pa.and 11th Ohio respectively. William Kindig likewise writes about the 170th Pa. and describes in detail its participation in battles around Culpeper and Manassas, Virginia, in 1862. All six writers and Henry Bitner had been neighbors in Shippensburg, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, before the war. More information about these men can be found in the detailed biographies compiled by the Electronic Text Center at the University of Virginia."

Peter Boyer - "Peter Boyer was a private in Company C, 117th Pa., a regiment which included several other companies that were from Franklin County. In February 1863, Boyer's company was assigned to escort General George Meade's Fifth Corp of the Army of the Potomac. Boyer became frustrated with the mundane duties that this assignment entailed, and he writes about his feelings in these letters to his father (also named Peter Boyer) and his brothers John D. Boyer, Cyrus Boyer, and Daniel Boyer. He also writes about the 117th's engagements in northern Virginia, including battles at Cold Harbor and Petersburg."

James A. Carman - " James A. Carman was a private in the 107th Pa. His two letters to his father offer a Union soldier's perspective on life in the Confederate prisons of Richmond, Virginia, and Macon, Georgia."

J. Milton Crawford - " In this letter dated May 18, 1865, Union soldier J. Milton Crawford writes to his parents about life at Appomattox Station, Virginia, after the surrender of Confederate forces. He mentions the destitution of the local people in Virginia and the scarcity of postage stamps."

Christian Geisel - " Christian Geisel was a member of the 6th Pa. Cav. This extensive collection follows his regiment's movements in northern and central Virginia during the middle of the war. His letters to his brothers Franklin Geisel, William Geisel, and his sister Louisa Geisel include discussion of the Seven Days battles, the battle of Fredericksburg, and various other encounters with Confederate troops along the James River."

John Hamer - " This Union soldier's letters to his sister, Eveline Hamer, deal with such topics as his health, his longing to see women again, and his views on slavery."

Sylvester McElheney - " Sylvester McElheney was a private in the 208th Pa.and served from September 1864 through April 1865. His letters to his wife, Harriet, during this time reveal their struggle to maintain close ties while he was away in Virginia. His writings also provide a Union soldier's perspective on Virginia society and on the burning of Virginia homes in retaliation for the burning of Chambersburg. Two letters from Jacob Shearer and Frances Pleasants inform Harriet McElheney of her husband's wounding and eventual death in the service."

Samuel W. North - " Samuel North was an 18-year-old tanner when he enlisted in the Union army. His letters to his father and brother provide very detailed descriptions of many aspects of his military service, from marching to building bridges. He also describes a number of encounters with Confederate troops in Virginia, including the battle of Chancellorsville."

Samuel Potter - " This extensive collection contains the letters of Union soldier Samuel Potter to his wife, Cynthia Potter. Potter describes his work in the hospital department of the 16th Pa. Cav. and tells about his encounters with Confederate troops in Virginia. He also frequently comments on the likelihood that he will receive a furlough and return home. His letters often read like love letters and express a continual longing to see Cynthia again. The last letter in this collection is from J.R. Loyd, informing Cynthia of Samuel's death in the service."

Bob Taggert - " Bob Taggart's letters to his family offer a Union soldier's view of the battles of South Mountain and Bull Run. Taggart was a member of the 9th Pa. Reserve Infantry, and he writes about his regiment's attempts to move toward Richmond. His letters include commentary on life in various army camps along the way. Correspondents in this collection include brothers John Taggart and Sam Taggart, and sisters Mary and Tilly."

Step 3 - Students should browse the letters of these Franklin County Pennsylvania soldiers and look for letters that describe the South.

Step 4 - Have students take notes on the letters as they read. Students should use a graphic organizer when taking notes from the letters.

Step 5 - Students should write a description of the South using the letters they have read. There are numerous ways to structure this writing assignment. Below are three examples of how to proceed.