{"product_id":"the-left-armed-corps-writings-by-amputee-civil-war-veterans-9780807177464","title":"The Left-Armed Corps: Writings by Amputee Civil War Veterans","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Left-Armed Corps\u003c\/i\u003e collects and annotates a unique and little-known body of Civil War literature: narrative sketches, accounts, and poetry by veterans who lost the use of their right arms due to wounds sustained during the conflict and who later competed in left-handed penmanship contests in 1865 and 1866. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Organized by William Oland Bourne, the contests called on men who lost limbs while fighting for the Union to submit \"specimens\" of their best left-handed \"business\" writing in the form of personal statements. Bourne hoped the contests would help veterans reenter the work force and become economically viable citizens. Following Bourne's aims, the contests commemorated the sacrifices made by veterans and created an archive of individual stories detailing the recently ended conflict. However, the contestants and their entries also present visible evidence--in the form of surprisingly elegant or understandably sloppy handwriting specimens--of the difficulties veterans faced in adapting to life after the war and recovering from its traumas. Their written accounts relate the chaos of the battlefield, the agony of amputation, and the highs and lows of recovery. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Editor Allison M. Johnson organizes the selections thematically in order to highlight issues crucial to the experiences of Civil War soldiers, veterans, and amputees, offering invaluable insights into the ways in which former fighting men understood and commemorated their service and sacrifice. A detailed introduction provides background information on the contests and comments on the literary and historical significance of the veterans and their writings. Chapter subjects include political and philosophical treatises by veterans, amateur but poignant poetic testaments, and graphic accounts of wounding and amputation. \u003ci\u003eThe Left-Armed Corps\u003c\/i\u003e makes accessible this archive of powerful testimony and creative expression from Americans who fought to preserve the Union and end slavery.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=AUTH-15357038\"\u003eAllison M. Johnson\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e LSU Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 05\/11\/2022\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 404\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.30lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.90d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780807177464\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0807177466\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBISAC Categories:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-HIS\"\u003eHistory\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-HIS036050\"\u003eUnited States | Civil War Period (1850-1877)\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-LCO\"\u003eLiterary Collections\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-LCO002000\"\u003eAmerican | General\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-LIT\"\u003eLiterary Criticism\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-LIT025010\"\u003eSubjects \u0026amp; Themes | Historical Events\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAllison M. Johnson \u003c\/b\u003eis assistant professor of English at San José State University. She is the author of \u003ci\u003eThe Scars We Carve: Bodies and Wounds in Civil War Print Culture \u003c\/i\u003eand the coeditor of \u003ci\u003eReligion and Its Reformation in America, Beginnings to 1730: An Anthology of Primary Sources.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"LSU Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44540677751021,"sku":"9780807177464","price":60.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/8097\/6621\/products\/img_6ff96e84-9a45-4c6d-9c39-bf87da72f0f6.jpg?v=1701492707","url":"https:\/\/sureshotbooks.com\/products\/the-left-armed-corps-writings-by-amputee-civil-war-veterans-9780807177464","provider":"SureShot Books Publishing LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}