While battlefield parks and memorials erected in town squares and cemeteries have served to commemorate southern valor in the Civil War; Confederate soldiers' homes were actually 'living monuments' to the Lost Cause; housing the very men who made that cause their own. R. B. Rosenburg provides the first account of the establishment and operation of these homes for disabled and indigent southern veterans; which had their heyday between the 1880s and the 1920s. These institutions were commonly perceived as dignified retreats; where veterans who had seen better days could find peace; quiet; comfort; and happiness. But as Rosenburg shows; the harsher reality often included strict disciplinary tactics to maintain order and the treatment of indigent residents as wards and inmates rather than honored veterans. Many men chafed under the rigidly paternalistic administrative control and resented being told by their 'betters' how to behave. Rosenburg makes clear the idealism and sense of social responsibility that motivated the homes' founders and administrators; while also showing that from the outset the homes were enmeshed in political self-interest and the exploitation of the Confederate heritage.
#1320509 in Books 2015-04-06 2015-04-06Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.30 x .96 x 5.95l; #File Name: 0807159964256 pages
Review
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Women and the March to the SeaBy Matthew BartlettWhen it comes to the study of Sherman’s March to the Sea; there have been many analyses on the civilians during these encounters with the Union army. One thing which I found interesting about The Civilian War; was that the entire study was devoted to the ways in which the women of Georgia and the South encountered the Union army. Lisa Tendrich Frank has brought new information to solidify the writings within her work. The result is a very thought provoking work which not only involves those within the subtitle; but the rest of the participants as well. Lisa Tendrich Frank is the author and editor of many Civil War works; many of which include the civilian aspect of the Civil War. Some of her works are Women in the American Civil War and the soon to be released The World of the Civil War: A Daily Life Encyclopedia. She received her Ph.D. in history from the University of Florida. She has also taught at colleges and universities around the country. The Civilian War is part of the Conflicting Worlds collection printed by the Louisiana State University Press which prides itself on printing some of the most excellent works on the American Civil War. There is an image cultivated in the minds of people when the March to the Sea is mentioned. Most prominently is the image of the carnage within the city of Atlanta from the Union army; but Frank does not remain on that topic. She brings forward some interesting pieces of information which change the ideals of what women did in order to protect their homes. Frank makes one statement that most Union soldiers expected women to act like ladies when their homes were being ransacked and burned to the ground. Frank’s analyses on the types of behavior which women brought about because of this is fascinating and brings a new light to the March to the Sea. The book also goes to point out that some of these large homes were targets by Sherman and his army since Sherman; himself; blamed slaveholders for secession. This would lead to the behavioral study which Frank brings about in this work. Frank also does not bog down the book with heavy military documents; but brings about the human side to the war. This is where many books on the March to the Sea eventually fail when trying to talk about the civilians experience with Sherman; but here in The Civilian War; Frank succeeds in bringing us a thrilling narrative and study about the women of the South and their interactions with Union soldiers. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Sherman’s March to the Sea; or anyone interested in the Civilian life during the entire war. This study not only brings about new thought to Sherman’s March to the Sea; but it makes readers think about the whole operation. It shows what some of these women had to do in order to survive and make their voice heard. The narrative is thrilling and the research is amazing. Overall; this is one not to be missed.Matthew Bartlett - Gettysburg Chronicle8 of 9 people found the following review helpful. Outstanding work on the civilian woman in the warBy Timothy E. MasseyLisa Tendrich Frank sets out to look at the part of making “Georgia Howl†that is often overlooked. That is the conflict brought home to the women who supported the Confederate cause. Part of crushing the morale of the South and making her howl had to involve the civilian population. With most of the men away fighting or in many cases already a victim of the war; this operation put the Southern women at the center as it moved across the state.Crushing military infrastructure became less of the priority as the army turned from Atlanta. More and more the wealthier Southerners were targeted. The front lines of the war now moved to front yards and even into bedrooms where women were robbed and worse. According to Frank; Sherman realized that the Southern women were the backbone of the South’s resistance; and he therefore treated them as wartime opponents. His desire was to destroy that which gave them respectability and privilege.While Sherman intended his actions to demoralize the mostly female population; Frank asserts that his strategy frequently had just the opposite results. These women saw the destruction of food; arms and military wares as a part of war; they were not so forgiving on the personal transgressions committed toward them and their private space. This brought forth the wrath of these Southern women toward the Union soldiers and their most despised leader.Franks research brings to light both the damages inflicted on the battlefield and those brought to the civilian population. Many of these women waged their own war on the Union soldiers in an effort to protect themselves; their families; and the domestic domain. Southern men glorified in the actions of their women; and Jefferson Davis said “their gallantry is only different from that of her sons in this; that they deem it unfeminine to strike.â€This is a well-researched well written work; that gives insight into the Southern civilian populations as Sherman’s juggernaut lumbered across Georgia bringing destruction not only to the military; but to the civilians who found themselves hopelessly in the way.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Sherman's Civilian WarBy PublicusThis is a gracefully written exploration of Union military policies; Confederate women; and Sherman's way of war. Rather than looking at how Union soldiers destoyed railroads and machinery; Frank shows us how they raided homes and domestic spaces to destroy Confederate morale. Frank explains rather than condemns the soldiers and reveals the conflicting results of the campaign. It demoralized Confederate soldiers; angered slave holding women; and demonstrated the power of the Union army. Sherman said war is hell; and Frank shows us how this decisive Civil War campaign was a different kind of hell for Confederate men and women.
