Kimball Pearsons of the Town of Collins, Erie County, New York, was a descendant of early settlers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and Rhode Island. Although he was a Quaker, on August 28, 1862, Kimball enlisted in the 10th Regiment of Cavalry, New York State Volunteers. He was killed in action twenty-two months later during the Battle of Trevilian Station. While in military service, he was a prodigious correspondent, writing approximately 100 letters to his sister and her family. He also maintained a daily diary and an active correspondence with friends, neighbors and relatives. Kimball's...