Final answer:
Sullivan Ballou wrote the letter to his wife just before the Battle of Bull Run. A key early conflict in the American Civil War.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sullivan Ballou wrote the letter to his wife just before the Battle of Bull Run, also known as the First Manassas, which took place on July 21, 1861.
The Battles of Bull Run were two conflicts in the American Civil War. They were fought in the summers of 1861 and 1862 at a small stream named Bull Run, near Manassas, Virginia.
The Battles of Bull Run are also called First Manassas and Second Manassas. The Confederacy won both battles.
This battle was one of the early engagements of the American Civil War, characterized by the inexperience of troops and notable for the chaotic retreat of Union forces.
Ballou's letter has come to symbolize the personal cost of war, capturing the emotions and thoughts of a soldier facing the possibility of death.