Mary Boykin Chesnut

Chesnut's keen insight into political, economic, and social developments makes her an excellent source to understand the Southern homefront during the Civil War.

Born into the plantation gentry of South Carolina, granted the advantages of wealth, social position, and education by virtue of her family and her marriage to another prominent South Carolina family, Mary Chesnut has emerged as one of the key figures in American history, but not because of a career, her family, or her involvement in a humanitarian cause. Rather, Chesnut's significance comes from her extensive diary. Her commentary and reminiscences about the Confederate era provide an excellent window into the life and death of the Confederate nation. Her keen insight into political, economic, and social developments makes her an excellent source to understand the Southern homefront during the Civil War.
Professor DeCredico uses Chesnut's life to address the role of women in the South, the ideology and leadership of the Southern white elite, and how Southern women in general—and Chesnut in particular—viewed the institution of slavery. Furthermore, DeCredico shows how Mary Chesnut's privileged position gave her an ideal perspective for observing and commenting on the events of the Confederacy.

Chapter 1 Illustrations
Chapter 2 Editor's Foreword
Chapter 3 Acknowledgments
Chapter 4 Introduction
Chapter 5 Southern Daughter: "The World Seemed a Place Where One Could be Very Jolly"
Chapter 6 Marriage & Politics: "I Take This Somnolent Life Coolly"
Chapter 7 1860-1861: "Lincoln Was Elected and Our Fate Sealed"
Chapter 8 1862: "We Have No Breathing Time Given Us"
Chapter 9 1863: "Anxiety Pervades"
Chapter 10 1864: "The Deep Waters Are Closing Over Us"
Chapter 11 1865: "The Grand Smash Has Come"
Chapter 12 "Cry Aloud For All That is Past & Gone"
Chapter 13 Epilogue: The Diary From Dixie
Chapter 14 Suggested Reading
Chapter 15 Index