audiobook Maryland Voices of the Civil War by From Brand: Johns Hopkins University Press in History

Review

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Urban Legend RevisitedBy Frank C. StrasburgerAs a Baltimorean born and bred; I grew up with vivid stories of Baltimore's and Maryland's roles during the Civil War; including some of my own family's exploits. I confess that much of it confused me. Marylanders owned slaves; and all of the state lies below the Mason-Dixon Line; yet Maryland remained in the Union and is called "The Free State." The riots that broke out on Pratt Street as Union soldiers marched from one station to the other (experiencing one of the joys of traveling through Baltimore in those days) clearly belied any notion of Maryland's solid loyalty to the Union. My great grandfather followed Stonewall Jackson around the South even as his brother was busy smuggling an abolitionist rabbi from Baltimore over the Pennsylvania line before his congregation tarred and feathered him.So where did Baltimore's and Maryland's loyalties really lie? What was it like to be in Maryland from 1860 to 1865; and what forces were at play?Charles Mitchell has done a masterful job of weaving the overarching plot from the strands of personal memorabilia and biography to paint a living picture of a state that was in some ways a microcosm of the larger war. And for anyone like me who was raised with conflicting notions; his painstaking historical detail helps flesh out not simply the internal conflict but also the essential stability that kept Maryland in the Union. Contemporary letters and articles demonstrate not only immediate reactions but also the evolving mindset of the people in power; the citizenry; and the fringe element; all of which helps one get a sense of the dynamic of the times.The last section; "Freedom;" is made all the more moving by its acknowledgement that racial strife would continue in Maryland for another century. The Baltimore of my childhood in the '40's and '50's still had separate water fountains and bathrooms; and the local amusement park was closed to blacks. Much of Maryland--especially southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore; but also parts of Baltimore and Anne Arundel Counties and even a few neighborhoods in Baltimore City--retains some of the feel of the Old South to this day; though its political majority makes it dependably "Blue." MARYLAND VOICES both captures and explicates that paradox in a way that leaves us newly enlightened not only about the state as it was 150 years ago but about contemporary Maryland; as well.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Excellent newspaper and personal letter sourcesBy Edward P. ArthurAs a native Marylander and a reader of civil war history I was pleasantly surprised to learn so much from this book of Maryland voices. Reading about these times through the minds and hearts of individuals who were on the scene was enlightening. The author brings out the political differences between the eastern shore counties through Baltimore to the western counties through letters. The chapter on the confederate army marching through Frederick was particularly good and did I hear someone writing about the cattle lowing as they followed the troops through the city? I never realized that cattle were part of an army's supply but I do now. The contrast between the handsome soldiers on horseback through the minds of young girls and their grief as to the later casualties. The chapters on the slave issues were very livid and the inequities forced upon a race of people who had very little recourse to a better life. The court system in the "southern counties" and its brutal adherence to the southern way was very informative. Many Maryland families are mentioned in this book and if I were from one of them I would not miss reading this excellent treatise. I highly recommend this book to all and congratulate the author for his diligent detail.6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. A remarkable resource and a great read; too!By HoodlumWith this book; Charles W. Mitchell makes a major contribution to Civil War studies. No state in this era was more torn than the state of Maryland. Applying both scholarly wisdom and personal tenacity; Mitchell has successfully labored to uncover the story of Marylanders through their own private testimony. Moreover; he organizes and connects his material beautifully; to make a truly readable and indeed enjoyable; if at times harrowing; volume. Such a book has been needed for a long time; and for many years hence; both scholars and ordinary readers will be in Mr. Mitchell's debt.