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Leadership And A Letter : The American Civil War

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Leadership and a Letter
The American Civil War began over 150 years ago, eventually preventing a permanent disintegration of the then-existing United States. Though fractured, the country mended itself following the war and moved forward with incremental steps of maturation and a vision of social justice among many other imperatives. That process continues to this day and moves beyond as the need for justice changes. At the time of the American Civil War, the United States as it existed at the moment was less than a century old and had only 34 states. It was a still a young country and in development, not reaching the fifty-state level until the mid-twentieth century.
Inherent among citizens on both sides of Civil War was the idealism…show more content…
He was orphaned at a young age, and lived in poverty, but rose above those situations to attend Andover as a boarding student and later Brown University. Following that he attended law school and was admitted to the Rhode Island bar. He was elected to the Rhode Island legislature where he served as Clerk and then later the Speaker. Men who served in State and Federal legislative positions during this time were held in high esteem. Serving as Clerk and then Speaker would distinguish the office holder further, and validate his legislative ability.
During this period, Ballou had been a member of the Rhode Island State Militia. When the potential for a civil war became apparent he began to actively recruit others to volunteer for the State Militia. He was commissioned as a major in the militia and served as Judge Advocate. In this position, Ballou would act as the legal counselor to the Militia command staff, and as an advisor to an empaneled court martial. In this role, he was required to leave his professional law offices behind as well as his elected office and family. By the start of the Civil War, Ballou and his wife were raising two small boys at home.
Ballou left his position as Judge Advocate and became an officer of the 2nd Rhode Island Infantry Regiment, comprised of all volunteers from the state of Rhode Island. Like many other volunteer units during the Civil War, few of the regiment had military experience of any kind. At times, the lack of
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