Susan and Horace Hooker Civil War Correspondence

The Huntingtons and the Hookers were families living in Rochester, New York. In the 1861, Susan Huntington married Horace B. Hooker, they are the grandparents of Helen Hooker O'Malley, and the family they built together was close-knit and artistic.

Horace enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil War, and there are hundreds of letters between him and Susan during his service. These letters are rich in detail about the life of a Union soldier and a 19th-century woman during wartime. They show how families communicated, remained close, and stayed hopeful during times of war and hardship. Beyond written correspondence, there is a large collection of creative writing pieces and artwork from the Huntington-Hooker children. 

The letters between Horace and Susan offer us a voyeuristic glimpse into the deep love the couple had for each other. One interesting aspect of these letters is that whenever Horace writes “darling,” “I love you,” or other proclamations of love, these lines are scribbled over with blue crayon or pencil. It is unknown whether Horace made these notations, if they were done by Susan when she received the letters, or at a later date, but their bold emphasis does not go unnoticed. It is also unclear whether the markings were meant to highlight these lines or to make it difficult to read the more intimate sentiments. Such historical documents make people from the past relatable and help “humanize” them. To read some of the letters, click on the photos below.