On the day of Lincoln's inauguration in 1861, 27-year-old Confederate William Dorsey Pender hurriedly scribbled a note to his wife, Fanny. So began a prolific correspondence that would last until Pender was mortally wounded at Gettysburg. Pender's letters are filled with personal details, colourful descriptions, and candid opinions of important figures. His comments on his military activities and aspirations and the challenges of command, combined with his husbandly advice and affection, sketch an intimate and unvarnished portrait of a highly distinguished North Carolina man.