The BESSE Collection—named for its donor, Ralph M. Besse, includes volumes of published correspondence covering all subjects and time periods, but only written in, or translated into, English. Collections can be thematic or focused on one author. Does not include journals or diaries, with the occasional exception for works that include correspondence in addition to journals or diaries.
Explore the Besse Collection in person by visiting the second floor of Beeghly Library.
When searching the Beeghly catalog, adding "AND (letters OR correspondence)" to your search* will bring up books in the Besse Collection on your topic. All Besse books will have the location "Heidelberg Besse" to the left of the call number.
*ex. women AND "civil war" AND (letters OR correspondence)
This is just a tiny sample of the collections available in Besse:
Letters from Black America by 
The American Revolution Through British Eyes by 
An Uncommon Soldier:The Civil War Letters of Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, Alias Private Lyons Wakeman, 153rd Regiment, New York State Volunteers by 
War Letters: Extraordinary Correspondence from American Wars by 
Letters of a Nation by