Sarah Morgan Dawson lived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at the outbreak of the American Civil War. In March 1862, she began to record her thoughts about the war in a diary-- thoughts about the loss of friends killed in battle and the occupation of her home by Federal troops. Her devotion to the South was unwavering and her emotions real and uncensored. A true classic.
Excerpts from the diary of Carrie Berry, describing her family's life in the Confederate South in 1864. Supplemented by sidebars, activities and a timeline of the era.
Sarah Morgan Dawson lived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at the outbreak of the American Civil War. In March 1862, she began to record her thoughts about the war in a diary-- thoughts about the loss of friends killed in battle and the occupation of her home by Federal troops. Her devotion to the South was unwavering and her emotions real and uncensored. A true classic.
Not quite twenty-years old, Sarah Morgan began her diary in January 1862, nine months after the start of the Civil War. She writes of her many brothers, the turmoil of the devasted South and events of the war. For the first time, the entire diary has been published unabridged.
As a teen, Sarah Wheelock has vowed never to let a man control her. With this conviction, she leaves her life on a Michigan farm, disguises herself as a boy, and fights in the Civil War.
"This diary is distinctive for its account of increasing clashes with Unionist "bushwhackers" and for its graphic description of the atrocities on both sides. The Civil War surged around Rogersville, near the Fain farm, with alternating occupation by both North and South. When her farm was looted in 1865, Fain attempted to defend her family and home from depredations by both Yankee troops and guerrillas." "The entries from the period of Reconstruction reveal Fain's concerns about perceived threats from poor whites and freed slaves. Overall, however, this busy mother focuses throughout on the private life of her family, and her writings tell us much about the challenges of everyday life almost a century and a half ago."--Jacket.
A well-educated, outspoken member of a politically prominent family in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Josie Underwood (1840--1923) left behind one of the few intimate accounts of the Civil War written by a southern woman sympathetic to the Union. This vivid portrayal of the early years of the war begins several months before the first shots were fired on Fort Sumter in April 1861. "The Philistines are upon us," twenty-year-old Josie writes in her diary, leaving no question about the alarm she feels when Confederate soldiers occupy her once-peaceful town. Offering a unique perspective on the tensions between the Union and the Confederacy, Josie reveals that Kentucky was a hotbed of political and military action, particularly in her hometown of Bowling Green, known as the Gibraltar of the Confederacy. Located along important rail and water routes that were vital for shipping supplies in and out of the Confederacy, the city linked the upper South's trade and population centers and was strategically critical to both armies. Capturing the fright and frustration she and her family experienced when Bowling Green served as the Confederate army's headquarters in the fall of 1861, Josie tells of soldiers who trampled fields, pilfered crops, burned fences, cut down trees, stole food, and invaded homes and businesses. In early 1862, Josie's outspoken Unionist father, Warner Underwood, was ordered to evacuate the family's Mount Air estate, which was later destroyed by occupying forces. Wartime hardships also strained relationships among Josie's family, neighbors, and friends, whose passionate beliefs about Lincoln, slavery, and Kentucky's secession divided them. Published for the first time, Josie Underwood's Civil War Diary interweaves firsthand descriptions of the political unrest of the day with detailed accounts of an active social life filled with travel, parties, and suitors. Bringing to life a Unionist, slave-owning young woman who opposed both Lincoln's policies and Kentucky's secession, the diary dramatically chronicles the physical and emotional traumas visited on Josie's family, community, and state during wartime.
A gripping historical novel in which the fates of three young girls collide amidst the chaos of the American Civil War. Disguised as a boy, thirteen-year-old Annie Gordon becomes a soldier and joins the Portsmouth Rifles of the 9th Virginia Infantry as they march north to Gettysburg. Tillie Pierce, the frivolous fourteen-year-old daughter of a wealthy merchant finds herself surrounded by a vicious battle, destroying her romanticized notion of war. Defiantly, Grace Bryan and her father refuse to flee with the other free black citizens of Gettysburg, who fear the rebels will arrest them as fugitive slaves, determined to help others Everything comes to a head on the final day of the battle with Pickett's Charge, the suicidal Confederate assault on Gettysburg, when the lives of the three girls--a Yankee, a rebel and a freed slave--are linked and forever changed. Bobbi Miller's well-researched novel draws on actual accounts of the Battle of Gettysburg, weaving an unforgettable tale of the tragedies and triumphs, the humanity, heartache, and heroism of this Civil War battle. Told in fast-paced chapters with alternating points of view, The Girls of Gettysburg is a fascinating glimpse at the different worlds that existed, side by side, in this tumultuous moment. Perfect for introducing young readers to the complexities of the Civil War, and the ways in which our experiences shape our lives.