July 14, 1861, just one week before he marched into the devastating First Battle of Bull Run, Union Major Sullivan Ballou sat in a military camp in Washington, D.C., and penned a remarkably poetic, heartbreaking letter to his wife, Sarah. Sensing the looming mortality of the American Civil War, Ballou sought to balance his deep patriotism with his overwhelming devotion to his family.
Ballou was mortally wounded at Bull Run on July 21 and died eight days later on July 29, 1861. His letter, discovered among his personal effects after his death, remains one of the most famous pieces of personal correspondence in American military history. Its most unforgettable line — “my love for you is deathless” — captured the emotional core of a man who believed he might never return home.
The true historical layer to this letter is that Ballou never mailed it. Because it was intended only for Sarah if he fell, the letter was found after his death and personally hand‑delivered to her by Rhode Island Governor William Sprague. Adding to its mystery, the original manuscript in Ballou’s handwriting has been completely lost to history; the version known today survives only through handwritten copies circulated by the family.
Portrait of Major Sullivan Ballou of the 2nd Rhode Island Infantry, c. 1861 via Library of Congress, public domain
