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Edgar W. Clark wrote 181 letters to his wife, Catherine, as a member of the 3rd Michigan Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. Edgar left his wife and two daughters, ages 1 and 3, in Lansing, Mich. in order to save the Union and end slavery. In those letters, Edgar reveals what it was like for a common soldier and indirectly how his family coped at home in Lansing, Mich. Michael P. Clark, Edgar's great-great-grandson, an award-winning journalist, adds context to the letters by describing where Edgar was located during the famous battles. Edgar participated in such famous battles as Fredericksburg, the night attack at Chancellorsville, Bloody Angle at Spotsylvania and the fateful assault at Petersburg where Edgar was shot in the left knee. That Edgar survived disease, illness and wounds is incredible. Through research that includes a bibliography of more than 170 sources, the reader will gain a broad view of the Civil War that covers family topics, military history, political issues and medical advances. The book also includes photos, maps and illustrations that bring the reader close to Edgar's journey. In addition, there is a website, civilwarsurvivor.com, that includes references to a podcast, a narrated slideshow and a magazine article. The author, the retired Editorial Page Editor of The Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville, led a staff that won city, state, regional and national journalism awards.
