Private correspondents: Civil War era letters from the papers of Julia Anna Bullard Phillips

Among the papers preserved by native Michigander Julia Anna Bullard Phillips (1843-1925) are 57 Civil War era letters of which 47 were written by Michigan soldiers, five by women on the Michigan home front, and five by a California cousin. The majority of soldier letters were written by Julia's brother, Edwin Bullard, who served in both the Fifth Michigan Volunteer Infantry and First Michigan Light Artillery. After she married Andrew Phillips in 1862, Julia's correspondence expanded to include her brother-in-law Edward Phillips who served in the Fifth Michigan Cavalry, a division of Custer's famous Michigan Cavalry Brigade. The letters reveal a rich family history while providing first-hand perspectives on the war from the Eastern and Western Theaters as well as the Far West. Additionally, details in the letters raise questions about the role of women in the war and the complex relationship that soldiers had with the home front.