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In Pursuit of Peace:
Among the brightest legal minds of their generation, Curtis and Campbell rose to the Supreme Court early in their careers. Both, however, had short tenures. Curtis, a native of Massachusetts, was one of the dissenters in Dred Scott v Sandford (1857), and resigned later that year. Campbell left in 1861 to return to Alabama, shortly after the outbreak of the war. Despite their differences, the two remained friends. Like many stories of the Civil War, Campbell's letter illuminates the divisions throughout America as it engaged in a war between brothers, yet highlights the bonds that reunited the Nation.
Excerpts from the twenty page letter featured below illustrate Campbell's journey through the war and the inner workings of the Confederacy. |