Dear Ones at Home: Family Correspondence

James A. Garfield was a devoted family man who corresponded with his mother, siblings, children, and other family members, especially when his educational pursuits or professional career kept them apart. The correspondence in this section extends from 1839 to 1881, and includes the first and last letters James A. Garfield wrote to his mother Eliza, with whom Garfield remained a faithful correspondent throughout his life. After his marriage to Lucretia Rudolph in 1858, “Crete” joined James in writing to Mother Garfield. The arrival of the Garfields’ children subsequently added additional authors and recipients to the extended family’s literary output