In this groundbreaking reconsideration of the Civil War, the award-winning author invites us to see America's bloodiest conflict not just as pitting brother against brother but as a woman's war. When the war broke out, Union soldiers assumed Confederate women would be innocent noncombatants. Experience soon challenged this simplistic belief. The author reveals the vital and sometimes confounding roles women played on and off the battlefield. We meet Clara Judd, a Confederate spy whose imprisonment for treason sparked heated controversy, defying the principle of civilian immunity and leading to lasting changes in the laws of war. Hundreds of thousands of enslaved women escaped across Union lines, upending emancipation policies that extended only to enslaved men. The Union's response was to classify fugitive black women as soldiers' wives, regardless of whether they were married—offering them some protection but placing new obstacles on their path to freedom. In the war's aftermath, the Confederate grande dame Gertrude Thomas wrestled with her loss of status and of her former slaves. War, emancipation, and economic devastation affected her family intimately, and through her life, the author helps us see how fundamental the changes of Reconstruction were.
Stephanie McCurry Knihy
Stephanie McCurry is a preeminent historian specializing in the American South during the tumultuous nineteenth century, with a particular emphasis on the Civil War era. Her scholarly work deeply investigates the intricate histories of women and gender, offering profound insights into their roles and experiences. McCurry’s rigorous research and analytical approach illuminate the complex social and political landscapes of the past, making her contributions essential to understanding this pivotal period of American history.
