Chapter thirteen
Outside Wilmington — June 1863The long letter from her husband was unlike any previous letter Marie had received from him. She had been expecting something like this sooner or later. Still, it upset her. It wasn’t so much what Luke said in the letter that bothered Marie. It was what he didn’t say. She had known her husband long enough to sense that although he was pleased with the Chancellorsville victory, even he now saw the Cause in serious jeopardy.
He stated that not only could the Yankee army replace its casualties quickly, it was actually increasing in size every time they met. The Union was recruiting foreigners from Canada, France, England, Germany, and other European countries. Too many of the South’s youngsters, the heart of the nation, were dying or going home
