Interrupted Sentiments: The Dead Letter Office During the Civil War

Learn the poignant story of “Dead Letter” Civil War soldier photos.

Join us at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine on Saturday, May 4th at 2:00PM as Melissa A. Winn, from the American Battlefield Trust, discusses the Dead Letter Office during the Civil War. Undeliverable mail was opened and kept in that office. Photos of soldiers found in those letters were displayed on the wall in the hopes that they could be identified–a poignant attempt to reunite the soldier with his loved ones.

This event is included with admission to the Museum. 

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Melissa A. Winn is the marketing manager for the American Battlefield Trust, the nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educating the public about the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and the Civil War. Previously, she was director of photography for HistoryNet, publisher of nine history-related magazines, including America’s Civil War, American History, and Civil War Times, for which she served as the primary photo researcher, photographer, and a regular writer. Winn received a BA in English from the University of Wisconsin and has written for and published articles in multiple trade and commercial publications for more than 20 years. She was a 2015 finalist for the Jesse H. Neal Award for Best Portfolio. She’s a member of the Professional Photographers Association, Authors Guild, and the Center for Civil War Photography. Winn collects Civil War photographs and ephemera, with an emphasis on Dead Letter Office images and Union General John A. Rawlins, chief of staff to General Ulysses S. Grant.