This study uses an abundance of primary sources to restore African American female participants in the Civil War to history by documenting their presence; contributions and experience. Free and enslaved African American women took part in this process in a variety of ways; including black female charity and benevolence. These women were spies; soldiers; scouts; nurses; cooks; seamstresses; laundresses; recruiters; relief workers; organizers; teachers; activists and survivors. They carried the honor of the race on their shoulders; insisting on their right to be treated as "ladies" and knowing that their conduct was a direct reflection on the African American community as a whole.For too long; black women have been rendered invisible in traditional Civil War history and marginal in African American chronicles. This book addresses this lack by reclaiming and resurrecting the role of African American females; individually and collectively; during the Civil War. It brings their contributions; in the words of a Civil War participant; Susie King Taylor; "in history before the people."
#5074655 in Books 1961-12-25PDF # 2 #File Name: B000KIR8JS413 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A Treasure to my LibraryBy SEHThoroughly delightful! These are earlier published antedotes written by "Virginia's War Correspondent" to a Southern weekly newspaper beginning in the summer of 1862. That correspondent was J. Esten Cooke; and he published his articles under the nom de guerre Tristan Joyeuse; Gent. Cooke; a member of his cousin JEB Stuart's staff; was a thorough romantic; but an excellent soldier. While criticized for his flowery; hagiographic writing style; it is significant of the period in which he lived. Through the nearly constant engagements with the enemy as a Confederate Calvary officer on staff; Cooke keept his rose-colored glasses and looked to the good in humanity. His "Outlines" are often humorious; sometimes bitter. This is a marked change from the same articles he re-published in Wearing of the Grey; a volume that was published several years after the close of the Sectional War. He made changes to some (removing the earlier bitterness) and added others that he still had from his portfolio. Cooke; a sensitive; caring man; was deeply effected by the personal losses he suffered amongst the death of his friends; none more significantly than that of his hero; JEB Stuart; who fell defending Richmond during the Battle of Yellow Tavern (dying the following day; May 12; 1864). Although he remained a staff officer until the end of the war; and later went on to write additional novels and biographies of his heroes; his writing never advanced; much to his critics dismay. I find no fault in that. Tragedy changes a person; and Cooke himself; acknowledged that his writing style never improved. But his devotion to Stuart; to the Southern cavalry; and the Southern cause remained his sole objective in recording the deeds of the great men he lived amongst for four sad years. I highly recommend this little volume. It is a treasure to my library.
