Junius Wilson (1908-2001) spent seventy-six years at a state mental hospital in Goldsboro; North Carolina; including six in the criminal ward. He had never been declared insane by a medical professional or found guilty of any criminal charge. But he was deaf and black in the Jim Crow South. Unspeakable is the story of his life.Using legal records; institutional files; and extensive oral history interviews--some conducted in sign language--Susan Burch and Hannah Joyner piece together the story of a deaf man accused in 1925 of attempted rape; found insane at a lunacy hearing; committed to the criminal ward of the State Hospital for the Colored Insane; castrated; forced to labor for the institution; and held at the hospital for more than seven decades. Junius Wilson's life was shaped by some of the major developments of twentieth-century America: Jim Crow segregation; the civil rights movement; deinstitutionalization; the rise of professional social work; and the emergence of the deaf and disability rights movements. In addition to offering a bottom-up history of life in a segregated mental institution; Burch and Joyner's work also enriches the traditional interpretation of Jim Crow by highlighting the complicated intersections of race and disability as well as of community and language. This moving study expands the boundaries of what biography can and should be. There is much to learn and remember about Junius Wilson--and the countless others who have lived unspeakable histories.
#810725 in Books Earl J Hess 2013-08-01 2013-08-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.20 x 1.13 x 6.20l; 1.45 #File Name: 1469609932448 pagesField Armies and Fortifications in the Civil War The Eastern Campaigns 1861 1864
Review
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Marino Viganòperfect2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A Great Beginning to a Series of Field Armies and FortificationsBy Matthew BartlettWhen analysis of Civil War battles usually takes place; there are works written about the infantry; cavalry and artillery and their tactical movements around the battlefield. But something rarely talked about are the fortifications and field works made by the armies in order to solidify the position of the armies both Union and Confederate. Earl J. Hess uses this work; Field Armies and Fortifications in the Civil War; to better explain the design; need and uses of the field works on the battlefields and the fortifications all around the coastline. This is the first in a series of books written on the field works during the Civil War. Earl J. Hess is an associate professor of history at Lincoln Memorial University and has authored other works such as The Civil War in the West: Victory and Defeat from the Appalachians to the Mississippi and Pickett’s Charge – The Last Attack at Gettysburg. His book on Pickett’s Charge was the winner of the 2001 James I. Robertson Jr. Prize from the Civil War Library and Research Center. Field Armies and Fortifications in the Civil War: The Eastern Campaigns; 1861-1864 is one of the three books Hess has written surrounding field works in the Civil War. Others in the series are Trench Warfare Under Grant and Lee: Field Fortifications in the Overland Campaign and In the Trenches at Petersburg: Field Fortifications and Confederate Defeat. This book about the fortifications during the Eastern Campaigns is a great start to the series; however; as it brings to light certain things which have been ignored or only slightly mentioned in the annals of history. What Hess does in this work is describe in great detail the way in which the field works were built on the field and the problems which the engineers on both sides faced during that endeavor. With the lack of engineers in the army; many times there would be infantrymen creating the field works. This would create works which were not exactly up to par and the men of the ranks would often complain or slowly work because of the hard labor of construction field works. Throughout the text are many examples through drawings; maps or pictures giving the reader a great idea as to what the fortifications looked like through the war. Many times; people tend to think of forts as completely created with stone and embattlements; but sometimes that was just not the case. For example; Hess talks about Federal Fort Sumner and along with his explanation is a picture of the fortification. There is little to the fort; mainly some wood and sandbags placed upon dug embattlements with the cannons placed onto it. This is something which some readers may not be aware of. Another detail which Hess mentions is the fact that at the beginning of the war; Washington only had one fort as part of the defense. If you look at a map of Washington after the war; the entire city is surrounded with forts some of which were quickly built to suppress Early’s attacks in 1864. These attacks are not mentioned in this book since Hess only takes us up to Bristoe Station and the Fall of Plymouth. He does this in order to deal with the field works and fortifications in the Overland and Petersburg in the coming volumes. Nevertheless; this is a welcome addition to any Civil War Library. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Eastern Campaigns of the Civil War. It gives the readers a better idea of the time it took to create these fortifications and the effect which it had on the battlefield. This work also gives the reader an understanding of how few engineers there were during the beginning of the war and throughout the conflict and the way in which they had to find additional help. This would either end in success or failure and friction between commanders because of it. Field Armies and Fortifications in the Civil War: The Eastern Campaign; 1861-8164 is a welcome addition to any Civil War library and to the academia of the conflict.Matthew Bartlett - Author; Gettysburg Chronicle8 of 9 people found the following review helpful. Field armies; fortifications and moreBy James W. DurneyA book on Civil War fortifications should be dry as the Sahara and as easy to get thru as a concrete block wall. In the hands of a lesser author that would be true! What we have is a very readable; intelligent history of the Civil War in the east with emphases on fortifications. The author chooses to follow the campaigns and discuss the use of or lack of fortifications during the campaign and in the ongoing war. This simple idea gives the reader a very good overview of the war and a very intelligent discussion of how and why "digging in" became the norm.We start with a discussion of the American approach to battle and the theory of when and why fortifications were appropriate. This prepares us for the war's early months when armies use fixed forts to control areas but look for "a fair fight in the open". Reality meets theory during the Peninsula Campaign and The Seven Days as first one side and than the other is forced to dig. Hard lessons are quickly forgotten as the main armies struggle with the ideas of offensive or defensive actions and the fear fortifications will foster a defensive mentality. This interplay makes John B. Hood's actions outside Atlanta much easier to understand; something the book does not cover but a student of the war will grasp.The three chapters on the war in the Carolinas are excellent! "The Reduction of Battery Wagner" alone almost pays for the book. I have not read a better account of Civil War sieges and the impact on the men than in this chapter.The book ends with Mine Run and the Union not attacking the extensive fortifications in the area. When we reach the fall of 1863; the reader fully understands and appreciates the revolution that has occurred. The stage is set for the second volume "Trench Warfare under Grant Lee".A very good Glossary takes care of vocabulary problems. Within a couple of chapters; even a novice reader will seldom have to refer to it. Maps; illustrations and photographs are common and well placed giving us the visual information we need to supplement the text.This is not a basic book! However; it is not an advanced tome that requires a military education or years of study to enjoy. The reader needs a good idea of the events in the East from 1861 to 1863. You will have to be prepared to check the glossary on a regular basic for the first 20 to 50 pages too. After that; you will have a very informative; intelligent learning experience.
