No Tolerance for Cowards or “Yankees:” The Letters of Reuben Allen Pierson, a Confederate Officer

Authors

Erica L. Uszak, Gettysburg CollegeFollow

Class Year

2022

Document Type

Student Research Paper

Date of Creation

Fall 2021

Department 1

History

Abstract

Confederate officer Reuben Allen Pierson was a single well-to-do Louisiana slaveholder. He enlisted early in the Ninth Louisiana Infantry, insisting that he joined the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia to defend his freedom, family, and new country. He turned his back on the United States, convinced that his Northern counterparts were subhuman and dishonorable. This paper argues that Reuben Allen Pierson remained steadfast in his convictions about Southern duty and honor, arguing in the Confederacy’s favor even in bleak times. The writer will examine why he clung desperately to the Confederacy and how he was influenced by ideas of honor, Southern manhood, and anti-Northern propaganda. The writer will also discuss how Reuben Allen interpreted Southern women’s obligations to the Confederacy, especially his frustrations with his sister when she failed to uphold her duty to him and the South.

Comments

Written for HIST 428: Letters and Letter Writing

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Uszak, Erica L., "No Tolerance for Cowards or “Yankees:” The Letters of Reuben Allen Pierson, a Confederate Officer" (2021). Student Publications. 968.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship/968