2024 Silver Medals
for History and Biography
Independent Book Publisher Awards
2024 Silver Medals
for History and Biography
Independent Book Publisher Awards
During the Civil War, his movements from battlefield to battlefield were followed in the North and South almost as closely as those of generals, though he was not in the military.
From Fort Donelson in 1862 to City Point in 1865, he traveled with Ulysses Grant’s armies, assuring the swiftest possible delivery of mail, sometimes even as bullets whizzed overhead.
After the war, his unprecedented response to Ku Klux Klan violence sparked passage of a landmark civil rights law, though he was not a politician.
When he died in 1888, his death was reported in newspapers from coast to coast, though he’s all but forgotten today.
He was the man who delivered the most valuable ingredient in Union soldiers’ fighting spirit during those terrible war years – letters between the front lines and the home front.
He was Absalom Markland, Special Agent of the United States Post Office, and this is the first time his story has been told.
"Here is a special delivery treat for anyone who thinks there is nothing new to learn about the Civil War."
— Harold Holzer
Author, Dear Mr. Lincoln: Letters to the President
Great storytelling is an essential part of a compelling historical work. . .Hooper brings Absalom Markland to life with her characteristic substance and style.
— Linda Fairstein
New York Times bestselling author
"In compelling fashion, Hooper shows how Markland’s astonishing ability to ensure the prompt delivery of letters from home to soldiers on the front lines provided a tremendous boost to their morale and fighting spirit. . ."
– Lynne Olson
Author, Empress of the Nile
Hooper's splendid research opens the door on a new vista while her sparkling narrative makes the story come alive.
— Steve Woodworth
Author, Nothing but Victory: The Army of the Tennessee, 1861-1865
This book brings to life so many aspects of the wartime experience that it should become a must-read for any devoted student of the Civil War.
— Matthew Pinsker Pohanka Chair for Civil War History, Dickinson College
Washington DC
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