This journal records the Civil War experiences of a sensitive; well-educated; young southern woman. Kate Stone was twenty when the war began; living with her widowed mother; five brothers; and younger sister at Brokenburn; their plantation home in northeastern Louisiana. When Grant moved against Vicksburg; the family fled before the invading armies; eventually found refuge in Texas; and finally returned to a devastated home. Kate began her journal in May; 1861; and made regular entries up to November; 1865. She included briefer sketches in 1867 and 1868. In chronicling her everyday activities; Kate reveals much about a way of life that is no more: books read; plantation management and crops; maintaining slaves in the antebellum period; the attitude and conduct of slaves during the war; the fate of refugees; and civilian morale. Without pretense and with almost photographic clarity; she portrays the South during its darkest hours.
#211592 in Books imusti 2017-01-17 2017-01-17Original language:English 9.26 x .87 x 6.26l; 1.25 #File Name: 0807094269248 pagesBeacon Press
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A great book. An inside look at municipal politics and ...By Henry M. GehmanA great book. An inside look at municipal politics and chronicles how it is possible to make substantive change. Well worth it; especially if you are interested in the old saw; "politics is local".9 of 9 people found the following review helpful. The fight over who is to governBy Mitchell R. AlegreAnyone contemplating freeing local government from the control of big business would do well to read this book. The author; Steve Early; does not provide a how-to manual. Rather; he chronicles the fight in Richmond; California; against Chevron’s dominant influence over the city’s government. The reader is introduced to the realities of trying to wrest government control from big business. Early does not paint a pretty picture. There is subterfuge; corruption; greed; infighting; and much else that is unsavory. There is also integrity; courage; persistence; sacrifice; and much that is inspiring. Reading this book provides a sense of the real challenges facing those who would restore democratic government. It is an exhausting and never-ending endeavor. Those on the side of democracy must be ever vigilant and active. Being on the sidelines is to surrender to special interests that would use government for personal gain to the detriment of collective wellbeing. This is a book for those concerned about local community and the future of democratic government.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Big Money in a Little CityBy William WilsonRefinery Town is a detailed look at local politics in Richmond; California; home of a massive Chevron refinery that gives the volume its title. Most of the book focuses on the 21st century and the efforts by progressives to make Richmond less of a company town and more of a livable; equitable home for its largely blue-collar residents. It is not an impartial work. It is written by a veteran trade unionist and progressive; but he attempts to be factual in its presentation of the political struggles within the community.In a way; Richmond; a city of a little more than 100;000; exhibits many of the same political issues as the United States as a whole. The unlimited financial resources of Chevron weigh heavily in the policy of the city. Channeled and disguised through various “public interest†groups; Chevron's expenditures in local elections overwhelmed the opposition. Only when safety and health issues motivated a core group of grass-roots activists was power wrested away from corporate sympathizers. Richmond citizens suffered problems with housing; crime; health and unemployment. The book chronicles the efforts of the city administration (mayor; city manager; council; and police) to ameliorate those problems. To say that they were successful would be overstating the case. Their efforts; however; are an object lesson to those in other cities who are beset by the same issues.Admittedly; this is not a book for someone who is only vaguely interested in city politics. Steve Early gives extreme detail about the internal workings of the progressive alliance that may not be of interest to all. On the other hand; a local activist may find in this volume an enhanced understanding of the dynamics of local politics.
