Associate professor Dr. Jeremy Neely of Missouri State University’s Department of History has published a new book centered around the U.S. Civil War.
In “A Union Tested,” Neely examines the lives of Henry and Cimbaline Fike through hundreds of letters they exchanged between 1862 and 1865 while Henry was a quartermaster in the Union army.
“Dr. Neely is a foremost expert on the border war between Kansas and Missouri,” said Dr. Kathleen Kennedy, head of the history department. “This study represents an extension of his work into how the Civil War affected families and individuals as they negotiated the divisions of war.”
Historical serendipity leads to the Fikes
Neely was researching another book project on Missouri during the Reconstruction era when he encountered Henry Fike’s diary. He described the diary as “massive,” as it dates from the 1850s until 1919.
“He was such a prolific writer that I wondered if he had any other papers, and it turned out that, yes, he did,” Neely said. While serving as a Union soldier, Fike exchanged nearly 400 letters with his wife, Cimbaline.
“Their exchanges pulled me in almost instantly,” Neely said.
“The war demanded tremendous sacrifices of men and women alike,” he said. “Many volunteers, including Henry, signed up for three-year enlistments, and those lengthy deployments placed enormous strains upon families. Navigating those challenges was a constant and often fraught process.”
Expansive research “fleshes out” personalities
Neely started researching the Fikes in 2020 and ended up spending roughly four years on the project.
The process could have grown cumbersome, as the Fikes’ papers are split between two libraries. Henry’s diaries are held at the State Historical Society of Missouri, while his and Cimbaline’s letters are located at the University of Kansas. In addition, several diaries and letters from Henry’s comrades are at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, Illinois.
Neely was able to continue and broaden his research through a summer fellowship. He used the opportunity to examine newspapers, military records and private manuscripts to “flesh out the Fikes’ world more clearly,” he said.
Cimbaline’s and Henry’s personalities immediately emerged from the letters.
“Cimabline was strong and fearless in speaking her mind, but she also struggled with loneliness and what we today would recognize as depression,” he explained. “Henry was confident, loyal and enthusiastic. Together, they were ardent supporters of the Union war effort and had no patience for neighbors who failed to match their devotion.”
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