Rufus R. Dawes was a prolific letter writer and kept journals throughout his life. Rufus unreservedly expressed his thoughts, feelings and insights during service with the Sixth Wisconsin Volunteers, part of the famed Iron Brigade in the Civil War, and later as a Member of Congress from Ohio. His public accomplishments were many, but it is in his personal letters that we comprehend his unfailing devotion to his wife, Mary Gates Dawes, their six children, and to the home they created together in Marietta, Ohio. This book is a selection of letters and journals; it is a compelling story, revealing the warmth, integrity, and humor of an authentic American hero whose home was the place where you are always welcome.