This article describes how students in an American history class learned about the Civil War through soldiers' letters. Letters from the Civil War era come in a variety of styles and syntax. Some are easy to read while others are extremely difficult to transcribe. But every one of them speaks to the reader, revealing an unknown entity from another time and place. From the mundane, routine details of camp life to vivid descriptions of battles, the letters convey eyewitness accounts whose validity is unquestionable. History begins with people caught in the moment-by-moment rush of events ... the eyewitness's story evokes unforgettable urgency and energy, and a sense of truth. That true story, a more complete picture of what life during the Civil War was really like, is depicted in those bits and pieces of history. Discovering, or actually rediscovering, Civil War letters, those fragments from the past, and putting the pieces together, is the key to gaining a better understanding of that age. Most importantly, students are able to relate to the variety of emotions expressed in these primary sources; and, in essence, they feel history. Excerpts of Civil War letters written by soldiers from Ohio are also presented. (Contains 10 notes.)