Ersatz in the Confederacy
Ersatz in the Confederacy

Author: Mary Elizabeth Massey

Publisher: Univ of South Carolina Press

Published: 2021-06-10

Total Pages: 273

ISBN-13: 1643362445

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First published by the University of South Carolina in 1952, Ersatz in the Confederacy remains the definitive study of the South's desperate struggle to overcome critical shortages of food, medicine, clothing, household goods, farming supplies, and tools during the Civil War. Mary Elizabeth Massey's seminal work carefully documents the ingenuity of the Confederates as they coped with shortages of manufactured goods and essential commodities—including grain, coffee, sugar, and butter—that previously had been imported from the northern states or from England. Creative Southerners substituted sawdust for soap, pigs' tails and ears for Christmas tree ornaments, leaves for mattress stuffing, okra seeds for coffee beans, and gourds for cups. Women made clothing from scraps of material, blankets from carpets, shoes from leather saddles and furniture, and battle flags from wedding dresses. Despite the Confederates' penchant for "making do" and "doing without," Massey's research reveals the devastating impact of war's shortages on the South's civilian population. Overly optimistic that they could easily transform a rural economy into a self-sufficient manufacturing power, Southerners suffered from both disappointment and hardship as it became clear that their expectations were unrealistic. Ersatz in the Confederacy's lasting significance lies in Masseys clearly documented conclusion that despite the resourcefulness of the Southern people, the Confederate cause was lost not at Gettysburg nor in any other military engagement but much earlier and more decisively in the homefront battle against scarcity and deprivation.

The Encyclopedia of Civil War Medicine
The Encyclopedia of Civil War Medicine

Author: Glenna R Schroeder-Lein

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2015-01-28

Total Pages: 580

ISBN-13: 1317457099

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The American Civil War is the most read about era in our history, and among its most compelling aspects is the story of Civil War medicine - the staggering challenge of treating wounds and disease on both sides of the conflict. Written for general readers and scholars alike, this first-of-its kind encyclopedia will help all Civil War enthusiasts to better understand this amazing medical saga. Clearly organized, authoritative, and readable, "The Encyclopedia of Civil War Medicine" covers both traditional historical subjects and medical details. It offers clear explanations of unfamiliar medical terms, diseases, wounds, and treatments. The encyclopedia depicts notable medical personalities, generals with notorious wounds, soldiers' aid societies, medical department structure, and hospital design and function. It highlights the battles with the greatest medical significance, women's medical roles, period sanitation issues, and much more. Presented in A-Z format with more than 200 entries, the encyclopedia treats both Union and Confederate material in a balanced way. Its many user-friendly features include a chronology, a glossary, cross-references, and a bibliography for further study.

A Texas Cavalry Officer's Civil War
A Texas Cavalry Officer's Civil War

Author: Richard Lowe

Publisher: LSU Press

Published: 2005-04-01

Total Pages: 408

ISBN-13: 9780807130650

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A volunteer officer with the 9th Texas Cavalry Regiment from 1861 to 1865, James Campbell Bates saw some of the most important and dramatic clashes in the Civil War's western and trans-Mississippi theaters. Bates rode thousands of miles, fighting in the Indian Territory; at Elkhorn Tavern in Arkansas; at Corinth, Holly Springs, and Jackson, Mississippi; at Thompson's Station, Tennessee; and at the crossing of the Etowah River during Sherman's Atlanta campaign. In a detailed diary and dozens of long letters to his family, he recorded his impressions, confirming the image of the Texas cavalrymen as a hard-riding bunch -- long on aggression and short on discipline. Bates's writings, which remain in the possession of his descendants, treat scholars to a documentary treasure trove and all readers to an enthralling, first-person dose of American history.

The Confederate States of America, 1861–1865
The Confederate States of America, 1861–1865

Author: E. Merton Coulter

Publisher: LSU Press

Published: 1950-06-01

Total Pages: 696

ISBN-13: 9780807100073

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This book is the trade edition of Volume VII of A History of the South, a ten-volume series designed to present a thoroughly balanced history of all the complex aspects of the South's culture from 1607 to the present. Like its companion volumes, The Confederate States of America is written by an outstanding student of Southern history, E. Merton Coulter, who is also one of the editors of the series and the author of Volume VIII.The drama of war has led most historians to deal with the years 1861 to 1865 in terms of campaigns and generals. In this volume, however, Mr. Coulter treats the war in its perspective as an aspect of the life of a people.The attempt to build a nation strong enough to win independence naturally drew Southerners' attention to such problems as morale, money, bonds, taxes, diplomacy, manufacturing, transportation, communication, publishing, armaments, religion, labor, prices, profits, race problems, and political policy. Mr. Coulter balances these phases of the struggle in their relation to war itself, and the whole is dealt with as a period in the history of a people.And finally, Mr. Coulter deals with the ever-recurring questions: Did secession necessarily mean war? Was the South from the very beginning engaged in a hopeless struggle? And, if not, why did it lose?

Images Of Civil War Medicine
Images Of Civil War Medicine

Author: Dr. Alfred Jay Bollet, MD

Publisher: Demos Medical Publishing

Published: 2007-10-23

Total Pages: 217

ISBN-13: 1934559857

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With this beautifully illustrated photographic history, the acclaimed author of Civil War Medicine: Challenges and Triumphs has taken his expertise one step further and illuminated this history in images. Images of Civil War Medicine: A Photographic History is an extensive collection of never-before-published photographs taken during the Civil War. It provides a visual encyclopedia of medical facilities, individual surgeons, and other medically related phenomena, accompanied by a text describing the main features of Civil War medicine. Although there are many books containing photographs of the Civil War, this is the first to cover medical treatment facilities in this era. A perfect gift for Civil War buffs, historians, and medical history enthusiasts, the text of this beautiful picture book also gives a complete overview of the medical experiences of the Civil War. The books extensive collection of individual Civil War surgeons displaying their uniforms and equipment will be of especial interest to Civil War reenactors, and its depiction of existing pre-war structures converted to hospitals will fascinate those interested in contemporary architecture. A major strength of the book is its large number of Cartes de Visites, or photographs of individual surgeons, which descendants of Civil War participants often collect. Images of Civil War Medicine: A Photographic History covers all the main features of Civil War Medicine, including: Confederate aspects of Civil War medicine Contemporary prominent medical educators Civil War hospitals and hospital stewards Field hospitals Surgery, dentistry, and embalming Nursing With hundreds of previously unpublished photographs, Images of Civil War Medicine: A Photographic History is an essential addition to any enthusiasts collection.