BOOK DISCUSSION: Great Lakes/Great Books

Now in its 11th season, Great Lakes/Great Books meets the first Thursday of the month September – May to discuss books that have the Great Lakes as setting or subject matter or that are related to water and/or the Great Lakes region. All are welcome, whether you have read the book or not! This selection for this month is Heavy Marching: The Civil War Letters of Lute Moseley, 22nd Wisconsin.

About the book:

Lucius “Lute” Moseley wasa 19-year-old student at Beloit Academy when he enlisted in the Union Army. Moseley grew up on a family farm outside Beloit, Wisconsin, where his father operated the first dray service before opening a blacksmith shop and lumber yard. His father lost most of his modest assets through litigation of a building contract he had received, which likely influenced his son’s decision to enlist in the army. From 1862 to 1865, Moseley fought in the Civil War as an infantry soldier in Wisconsin’s 22nd Volunteers. Briefly captured and interred in a Confederate POW camp, he returned to action and participated in Sherman’s Atlanta campaign. He marched in the Washington, DC, Grand Review before returning to the Beloit area, where he remained for the rest of his life. Moseley wrote detailed missives to his family about his experiences, demonstrating a flair for describing both camp life and battles. Frank and forthright, he was remarkably articulate, insightful, and thoughtful. Never before made available to scholars or students of the war, these letters have become touchstones and sources of pride for the Moseley family and provide a uniquely candid and vivid view of this period in history.