The contributions of more than six hundred Catholic nuns to the care of Confederate and Union sick and wounded made a critical impact upon nineteenth-century America. Not only did thousands of soldiers directly benefit from the religious sisters' ministrations; but both professional nursing and Catholics' acceptance within mainstream society advanced significantly as a result. In To Bind Up the Wounds; Sister Mary Denis Maher writes this heretofore neglected Civil War chapter in rich detail; telling a riveting story shot with suspicion and prejudice; suffering and self-sacrifice; ingenuity; beneficence; and gratitude.
#2995871 in Books Louisiana State University Press 1993-10-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.50 x .32 x 5.51l; .41 #File Name: 0807118877128 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. ... the point of view of one who studied Lincoln's great rival; Stephen ABy Dan CoyneFrom the point of view of one who studied Lincoln's great rival; Stephen A. Douglas; this slender volume has a unique angle. Johannsen reveals Lincoln's southern roots and explores the effect of that foundation on his feelings toward slave owners. I; personally; believe the author misses the point of what Lincoln was doing (the being mostly what he believed he could do politically to right a great moral wrong in slavery while still representing a deeply racist white voting population.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Good Read on the first American DictatorBy the1911patriotI enjoyed this well researched book concerning Lincoln; whom I hold to have been the first U.S. president to twist his office into that of a dictator. Much more could be said about Lincoln; but this book was written solely concerning his views on slavery. I would recommend this to a friend interested in Lincoln.0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A. Lincoln: A Blundering Politician?By Frances C. Fowler"Lincoln; the South; and Slavery" is a short book (124 pages) by historian Robert Johannsen; better known for his work on Stephen A. Douglas. Based on five lectures delivered at two different places; the book traces the evolution of Lincoln's views on slavery and the South between 1854 and 1860; concluding with a chapter that describes and critiques Lincoln's behavior between his nomination for president and his inauguration.Johannsen draws on extensive primary source material; including Lincoln's speeches and correspondence; contemporary newspaper articles and editorials; some of Douglas's speeches; and early accounts by people who knew Lincoln. The major thesis of the book is that Lincoln was a master politician whose thinking developed at least partly in response to the ever changing political situation but who failed to exercise true statesmanship when the Southern sates began to secede.In his introduction Johannsen discusses how difficult it is to approach Lincoln as a historical figure rather than as a demigod. Nevertheless; his objective is to apply standard methods of historical analysis to the sixteenth president. In my opinion; he largely succeeds. Anyone who has read much about Lincoln knows that the vast majority of writing about him is uncritically favorable; ranging from blatant hagiography to evaluations of his presidency that omit or skim over his more questionable statements and actions in order to rank him as one of the greatest statesmen of all time. A much smaller body of literature is fiercely hostile and vituperative. Johannsen's book falls somewhere in between. He believes that Lincoln sometimes contradicted himself; said things in private that he refused to say in public; and could be extremely obtuse. In short; he presents Lincoln as a very human president.The most critical chapter is the last one; in which the author depicts Lincoln and his party as focusing so intently on winning the 1860 election and deciding how to distribute the patronage that they gave little thought to how they would govern the country once they were in charge. As a result; they failed to take Southern threats of secession seriously. Lincoln himself seems to have been in deep denial; as late as February 1861--after seven states had seceded and formed a rival government--he assured a Midwestern audience that there was no crisis.This is a valuable book for anyone who seeks to understand the extent to which "blundering politicians" failed to deal effectively with the political crisis that led to the Civil War and is willing to consider the possibility that Lincoln was one of the chief blunderers.
