by Sally Brock Putnam
389 pgs.

FIRST PUBLISHED IN 1867
NOW AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK

Written by an eyewitness, this book is a valuable source of information for anyone researching the War Between the States. The author was there for the duration of the war — from Jefferson Davis' inauguration to the burning and evacuation of the Confederate capital — and provides a Southern woman's perspective of the devastation and deprivations both experienced and overcome by those who endured them on a daily basis.

The Civil War turned the genteel world of Virginia society upside-down for Sallie Brock Putnam. She lived in the Confederate capital of Richmond throughout the war and saw it transformed from a quiet town of culture to a swollen refugee camp, black-market center, prison venue, and hospital complex. Putnam describes the excitement of secession giving way to sacrifice and grim determination, the women of Richmond aiding the war effort, the funerals and hasty weddings, the reduced circumstances of even the "best" families, and the despicable profiteering. Asserting that "every woman was to some extent a politician," she offers keen analyses of military engagements, criticizes political decisions, and provides accounts of the Richmond Bread Riot of 1863 and the inauguration of Jefferson Davis that have been praised by historians.