In a scene in the 1998 movie Saving Private Ryan, General George Marshall reads a letter from President Lincoln written to a widow and mother of five sons killed in the Civil War. In the movie, the letter serves as inspiration to young soldiers preparing to risk their lives. Through the life of Lydia Bixby, audience members consider how ordinary women experienced the war and survived loss.
• What do we know of the real Mrs. Bixby?
• How does a mother survive an experience like this?
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• Whatever became of Lydia Bixby?
• What happened to Lincoln's letter - the most famous condolence letter ever written?
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Dr. Judith GiesbergDr. Judith Giesberg is an Assistant Professor of History at Villanova University.
This presentation is a program of the Pennsylvania Humanities Council supported in part by National Endowment for the Huamnities. The Pennsylvania Humanities Council, a nonprofit organization, inspires individuals to enjoy and share a life of learning. This program is free of charge and open to the public.
