- Edited By:
-
- Melissa MacCrae
- and Maureen Bradford
-
- Illustrated By:
-
- David
J. Priesing
The Civil War was no place
for little boys. No Place for Little Boys is an
uncommon war story, told
through the letters of Peleg Bradford, Jr., a Union soldier
from Carmel, Maine. His regiment, the
First Maine Heavy Artillery, fought valiantly in several battles,
including the Seige of Petersburg. According to the book, "The
First Maine Heavy Artillery," written by Horace Shaw and
Charles J. House, from August 21, 1862 to April 9, 1865, 1,363
of the regiment's 2,200 men were either killed or otherwise
battle marked.
No Place for Little
Boys represents
three non-historians' efforts
to let Peleg's words live again more than 130 years
after they were penned to his mother,
father, brothers, sisters, and girlfriend. Annotations include
information about the 62+ soldiers whom Peleg mentions in his
letters. Though Soldier Peleg's war may not have differed appreciably from his comrades',
Son -- Brother -- Friend Peleg's
words spelled out his feelings that he spilled into his uncensored
letters home. Readers can also benefit
from the 14 original pen-and-ink illustrations, which are appropriately
placed to complement the letters.
No Place for Little
Boys is a dichotomous
story of love and war, yet love is the
common thread that binds this correspondence. Peleg's own grandson, Richard Bradford, who still
lives in Orono, Maine, is liberally quoted in No Place for
Little Boys. Though he was only a boy when his grandfather
Peleg died, Richard recalled his "Gramp"
well. His recollections filled
in some missing pieces left by his grandfather's letters. Peleg's
words published in No Place for Little Boys offer
an almost surreal serenity
amidst the battlefield's chaos as he narrates a personal
account of his war through his uncensored
letters.
"MacCrae and Bradford,
in compiling this collection of letters,
have given a view of the human side
of war which often goes untold. The glory of the human spirit
to confront and overcome
whatever is set before it is told through the letters of this
one man and of those all around him..."
-- Rhea Côté Robbins,
1997 Chapbook Award Winner
"No Place for Little
Boys" gives the reader a glimpse
of everyday concerns and thoughts about
the war through the eyes of Peleg Bradford, Jr....We are grateful
for this new contribution to our knowledge
of this most crucial time in our
nation's history."
-- Lynda L. Sudlow, Civil War
historian and researcher
® All Rights Reserved/Printed on
Recycled Paper
To Order Your Copy Today ...
The First Maine Heavy Artillery, 1862-1865
The editors of "No Place for Little Boys"
are deeply indebted to Captain Horace Shaw and Major Charles J.
House, whose book, "The First Maine Heavy Artillery"
published in 1903 guided our journey through Peleg Bradford, Jr.'s
letters. House accounted for all 2,200 soldiers who served in
the First Maine Heavy Artillery, while Shaw wrote compelling testimony
of what the Civil War was really like to the men who served.
This volume has been out of print for many years, leaving
students, historians, and family members of those soldiers mentioned
in the book without the benefit of their detailed, real-life chronicle
of The First Maine Heavy Artillery's activities from 1862-1865.
A few copies are available at public libraries and at the University
of Maine, but those do not circulate.
There is a new development in regard to The First Maine
Heavy Artillery. Clarence Woodcock has republished it in electronic
format and it is available for sale or viewing on the web at http://www.cwoodcock.com/firstmaine/
For more information, please contact goddess@mywebanywhere.net