The Southern home front chapter explains many common misconceptions I had about the South. That Southerners suffered the distress of war I never doubted. However, to read it detailed in primary evidence and engendered by Southern female understanding, then how Southern women changed their views, provides another means of examining the war machine in an invaded area such was the South.
Documents One through Four - "An uneasy relationship with the COnfederate Govt."
The first document from Gov. Brown illustrates to the CSA vice-president his apprehension that his state has more to fear from "military despotism" than "subjugation by the enemy." Here he seems quite aware that no one but him has addressed these concerns as of September 1862. Though considered a friendly letter, it nevertheless highlights "dangerous usurpations of power" which centralize a government which was originally a pro states-power entity. Document 2 is more personal. Eliza Adams asks the government (Jefferson Davis) for exemption for her son. It both speaks for itself and for so many more whose husbands, sons, and sons-in-law were already conscripted and fighting, leaving women without help and dependent on those who remained, if any. Mrs. Adams' sacrifice is in the "giving up" of seven members of her family as proof to her loyalty. It seems she can bear no more and needs her remaining son to stay to help er and his sisters whose husbands are gone to fight. Document 3, though it seems simply written, is far from simple. It is a moving, at times apologetic, and at times warning letter written by "plain folk," letting the Gov. of N.C. know how spent and distressed white men and women of lower classes really are. Here the writer writes as a consensus of people who are frankly unable to buy any food to subsist due to high inflation prices of things like corn. He seems to say he is tired and distressed by the fact that plantation owners are living "high on the hog," so to speak, while they starve. In the middle of the letter, he lets the government know that if things do not change soon, they will murder for food that is affordable or get it at any expense. This is an act of desperation, not a willful warning, which he finds regrettable but necessary. It is so extraordinary because one often reads letters from politicians and wealthy landowners, even slaves, but rarely a protest from "plain folk" who see this as a rich man's war over rich men's interests - not something of their own making. Document 4 continues the disillusion from a government standpoint with the Confederacy. Document 4 is from N.C's legislature in protest over Confederate drafts/conscription and martial law. It's May 1864 and the letter initiates a series of protests written as "Resolved" to show their "alarm" over the aforementioned laws passed by the CSA. The legislature is stating that these laws endanger exactly what they are fighting for, a free government and people's rights. The document also argues state sovereignty isbeing destroyed via this military "despotism."
Documents Five Through Seven; women and the war
These documents helped me to understand how Southern women viewed conscription, public and personal life, class and how their roles were changing. Particularly gone are traces of romantic war notions, to be replaced by the gloom and horrors which so tried them at every turn. Document 5 is Mrs. Edmonston's comment on public and "domestic life." She blames the abolitionist newspapers for inciting people against one another, can't believe Emancipation will happen, talks about the money situation as declining, and comments on African-Americans as unequal to white class status. She seems to abhor doing the work of the slaves during the slaves' Christmas holidays but talks about her prized pickles and wishes (of all things) she could wear silk. Document 6 is Cordelia McDonald's comments on class and the forced draft. She says many have deserted from the CSA military and while she cannot tolerate them for "giving up" she also acknowledges that she understands why they must do so and even feeds such men. She knows conscription is a "dreadful tyranny" to those who must endure freezing or starvation or both. Also, their families are suffering and she says those people would be in the same position under one government or another. Some of those "lawless people" even turn on defenseless folks, which helps the reader understand how "little law there was" that good for nothing except filling the army with deserters faster than it filled. Documment 7 is from Elizabeth PAtterson who is asking the Secretary of War to let her son go according to his talent in agriculture which seems to be backed by a law which authorizes men with over 15 slaves to be exempted. Her plea comes wrapped in her nationalism, which was common then and thought to serve the better of the country. PAtterson had already lost three son's to the war by the time she makes said plea.
Essays
Essay one by Faust was not surprising but fascinating. The author uses primary sources to detail how the war changed women. Once confident, women had to redefine themselves at the price of their health and mental well-being. The psychological toll of the war left women depressed, anxious, taxed, and "completely unhinged." The author compares women in this context to the people affected in Vietnam. Increasing the pressure was the fact that many could not grieve or express sorrow because they wanted to remain strong for their families. I so connected with them in this moment because they show a striking awareness of the deterioration of a society, especially women. Faust says this shifted the perspective from nationalistic to self-interested in terms of self-preservation. This was because they were tird of giving up their men to conscription, the army, and worse -death for nothing and wanted family needs to come above the governments needs. Though many seemed to throw elaborate parties which may have seemed odd or selfish, this reverting to traditional ways reasserted their right to reclaim some sense of sanity and normalcy which were truly fleeting. However, the criticism was dire.
The second essay is from Taylor, in which she offfers "narratives of negotiation rather than of protest" for our perusal. In doing so, Taylor highlights this special means of communication with government by ordinary people as a way of presenting individual cases. This was important because women were thrust in these roles which previously belonged to men. by writing a certain way, those folks maintained that they were writing due to national duty, not in their own self-interest. Some people wrote on their own behalf as much as for their neighbor's. Family seemed to be at "the center" of this debate; they just couldn't survive or absorb further loss but knew to negotiate with the CSA rather than demand it. Letters were often read and responded to, which may have encouraged others to write.
Document three by Escott is about how things such as conscription, impressment, were unique. Tax-in-kind for example, the government's taxes on agriculture, caused undue burden on farmers. The author then says that oppostion to such policies was mostly from Governor's of CSA states and Davis defended the practices via the Constitution. In other words, DAvis' power was more centralized than anyone wanted. Therefore, Davis policies contradicted gov.'s fight for the preservation of state rights.
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