Background information and commentary by Andrew Carroll: Last week we featured another WWII letter by a young pilot who would, decades later, run for the presidency, and indeed the writer was (and congrats to everyone who posted the answer on the discussion board; well done!): George Herbert Walker Bush.

Over the next few weeks we'll be showcasing correspondence from the Civil War, and I thought I'd begin with a letter written years before the conflict by a man named Aaron Dwight Stevens. A veteran of the Mexican War, Stevens was a skilled soldier who wanted to use his military expertise to hasten slavery's demise. As expressed in the following letter to his brother in Minnesota, he believed its end would come only through bloodshed. (This letter was published for the first time, and in its entirety, in WAR LETTERS.)

Spring Dale Cedar Co. Iowa
Aug: 2 1858.

My Dear Brother…

I think I told you before that I was in the cause of human Freedom, but I did not give you the particklures. We left Kansas to strike Slavory at the heart, and we had things all arrianged to do it, and would of done so, but for a trator. one of the party had a falling out with the head one and for gold turned trator to himself his country and his god; you may think it not best to do it by the sword, but I tell you it never will be done away except by the sword, and every year it is getting worse, and then think of the thousands who are murdered yearly, you are aware of how they do things down south.

I suppose that they work there Slaves on those big plantations hard enouf to kill them in seven years, they can make the most of them in thatt way, so you see there is thousands of them murdered yearly, and would you not think it best to do away with Slavory in a year or two by loosing a few thousands in war than to have thousands of them murdered yearly for god knows how many years, and to think how many of them have been murdered before this.

I am aganst war, except in self defense, and then I am like Pattrick Henry, when he sayd "give me Liberity or give me death." I do not think we shall be able to go on with it this year, but I think the time is acoming when it will be done. it leaves us in rather bad circumstances for we had sackraficed all we had to the cause, but we are willing to give up life it self for the good of humanity….

give my love to your wife, and tell her I should like to see her very much. you must excuse me for writing this short lettor.

I will send you my likeness. it is not a very good one, but then you can see how I look somewhat. I wish you would send me yours and you will gratley oblige your

Loving Brother
A. D. Stevens
(Please write as soon as you get this.)

NEXT WEEK: The fate of Stevens after an infamous raid in October 1859…