Leverett Bradley

Leverett Bradley: a Soldier-boy's Letters, 1862-1865

Leverett Bradley Jr. served in the First Massachusetts Heavy Artillery for nearly 4 years and was witness to some of the most intense fighting of the Civil War. At 15 years old he had joined his father?s military unit, as did his eleven year old brother Jerry. During this time the he wrote home constantly. For a person so young his letters were wonderfully written gives the impression that he wanted to share his experiences with those he loved. Slightly wounded on more than one occasion, Leverett, Jr. survived the war and mustered out as a first lieutenant. Turning to the church he found his calling as a minister in the Episcopal Church and died in 1902. In memoriam, his widow, Susan Hinckley Bradley, privately published these letters and some sermons written in his honor in 1905.