On this podcast, we bring correspondence from Grand Valley State University’s Special Collections and University Archives alive. In each episode you will hear (in their own words!) letters written by the people who lived through history and the stories behind them. We're telling the story of Joseph Olexa, a young soldier from Detroit, Michigan, who served throughout World War II.
We’ve come to the end of Season 2! We’re wrapping up with a little bit more about John’s life in service and what he did after the war. To the Letter ...
It takes a long time for the Civil War to be officially over in every state and territory. In this episode we take a look at how the end of the war ac...
Once again we’re talking about medical needs during the Civil War. This time, we investigate what the U.S. Sanitary Commission was all about. To the L...
In this episode we’re talking about the roles of Black men and women in the military during the Civil War. To the Letter is a podcast brought to you i...
Episode 9 is all about the election of 1864, in which only 25 states participated! To the Letter is a podcast brought to you in collaboration with Uni...
We couldn’t resist talking about how the mail system worked! While delays in communication were a common theme in Season 1, John hasn’t talked too muc...
This episode explains “Bushwhackers” and “Jayhawks”. Bushwhackers was the term given to pro-Confederate secessionist guerillas of Missouri, in particu...
In this episode we delve into the aftermath of Civil War medicine. What happened to soldiers wounded in action? To the Letter is a podcast brought to ...
In today’s episode we discuss the capture of the 19th Michigan Infantry by Confederate troops near Brentwood, Tennessee and how prisoners of war were ...
In Episode 4, we continue to talk about medical treatment during the Civil War – particularly the role that women in religious organizations played. T...