Sanctified Trial is the riveting Civil War diary of a Confederate woman of strong religious faith and equally strong proslavery convictions. Eliza Rhea Anderson Fain (b. 1816); who lived in Rogersville; Tennessee; kept diaries from shortly after her marriage to Richard Gammon Fain in 1833 until her death in 1892. John N. Fain has prepared this edition of the portion of these diaries that focuses on the war years.Her husband and five of her six sons fought on the side of the South in a sharply divided East Tennessee. With a farm that housed nine slaves; Eliza Fain was no reluctant Confederate but a consistent supporter of secession; while many of her neighbors were equally ardent Unionists. A deep religious devotion; exemplifying that of many nineteenth-century Presbyterians; runs throughout her writing. She demonstrates her conviction that a leading cause of the war was Northern misinterpretation of the Bible with respect to slavery. This diary is distinctive for its account of increasing clashes with Unionist “bushwhackers†and for its graphic description of the atrocities on both sides. The Civil War surged around Rogersville; near the Fain farm; with alternating occupation by both North and South. When her farm was looted in 1865; Fain attempted to defend her family and home from depredations by both Yankee troops and guerillas.The entries from the period of Reconstruction reveal Fain’s concerns about perceived threats from poor whites and freed slaves. Overall; however; this busy mother focuses throughout on the private life of her family; and her writings tell us much about the challenges of everyday life almost a century and a half ago.John N. Fain is Van Vleet Professor in the Department of Molecular Sciences at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Eliza Rhea Anderson Fain was a distant relative.
#231531 in Books Shambhala 2002-12 2002-12-03Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.94 x .91 x 5.96l; 1.08 #File Name: 1570629609352 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. An Eye-Opening ExperienceBy faye.martin@colostate.eduAn Incredible Book. This was my first introduction to Buddhist Thought. I was aware of mindfulness but hadn't practiced it; and I wanted to explore the origin of mindfulness meditation before I practiced it. I decided to finally try meditation after some of the chapters made true logical sense to me in terms of mankind's search for enlightenment. My very first experience with breathing meditation (as practiced from the teachings of this book); was pretty astounding. I realized how easy it is to experience true peace as a first try for one thing in maybe 5-6 minutes; without any guidance. Once I realized how true it could be; I delved further - into several more books and experiences; as well as the remaining chapters of this one. I gave this to my very best friend in the world for Christmas (and I didn't tell her anything about what to expect). This book isn't about religion; belief or dogma (to be fair; you might want to skip the biography of Buddha). It is about being able to reach within yourself in the simplest way to bring out the most in who you can be. The reason why I bought this book for my best friend is because I couldn't bear to give my copy up (we've always discussed various religions together; so when she saw me reading this one; she of course wanted to read it). This book means a lot to me; and the path since then has actually been even more eye-opening. I'm a skeptic (actually a biochemist) by nature; but the actual experience with no investment; no guidance - really made a difference to me.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Excellent textBy Catherine M. RybickiThis is an excellent anthology of the some of the best Buddhist writings from all the different Buddhist schools. I've been a practicing Buddhist for over 30 years and a Buddhist nun for over 20 years. I highly recommend this text to anyone interested in Buddhist concepts and practices. It is a straightforward; unbiased anthology; taking no position as to which school is "better" than the others. I appreciate this very much; having seen more than one text claim to objectively survey the various schools; all the while touting their own school as "the best." This text dispenses with that nonsense; going to the heart of each tradition from the point of view of that particular tradition.6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. GreatBy Jaime vidalesThe book met my expectations and was very informative. I have recently converted to Buddhism and this book has really been helpful.
