The Women's War in the South: Recollections and Reflections of the American Civil War

The Women's War in the South recounts the manner in which women experienced the Civil War and the changes it brought about in their lives. Filled with excerpts from the letters, books, diaries, and postwar writings the women left behind, it reveals the other side of the war--the woman's war. The editors include first-person accounts of women running farms, buying and selling goods, working outside the home, serving as spies, and even participating in combat in disguise.

Southern women had particularly strong feelings about this war because, alone and unarmed, they often confronted invading Yankees face-to-face. For these women the conflict meant coping with severe shortages and extreme sacrifices. The end result for many women, however, was death by disease, starvation, and the fighting that frequently crossed the threshold and entered their homes.