Encountering sensitive material

This week I came across an interesting letter written by a man named Randolph Rigley addressed to W.A. Carter. It was written in 1840 during the Second Seminole War. It is not the author or the recipient of this letter that caught my attention; rather it was the content expressed in the letter. Rigley proceeds to fill Carter in on the latest " Indian News" he has for him. He talks about his infantry and their encounters with the Indians. He proudly mentions that him and his men placed shells on the Indian trail and covered them with shirts and waited for the " bait". They watched as an "Indian" curiously picked up the shirt and was wounded in an explosion. This is when Rigley and his infantry moved in and either captured, killed, or exchanged fire with the "Indians".
While reading this, my first thought was that this letter would be a great primary source for someone researching war tactics during the Seminole Wars. Shortly after, I began thinking how graphic and intimate this account is and how some researchers may not be comfortable with this information. Public History faces this problem regularly when valuable historic information is available, yet one must be mindful not to offend the public with sensitive information. As of now, this letter is in the Archive, not on display for a public audience. However, that could change one day and it is the duty and a challenge for all those involved in Public History to present accurate accounts of the past all while being sensitive to the target audience. Working in this archive I feel that I am becoming better prepared to enter the world of Public History.