Mary Chesnut

The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

2009-02-03T18:42:00.000-08:00

When Colonel Cadwallader Jones handed me the dispatch for my husband, I had not the faintest clue that it was concerning President Lincoln's assassination. The question of who had killed him was definitely on my mind for the longest time. I thought for sure the South would be blamed, but as Mary Darby said, "they murdered him themselves. No Confederates are in Washington." He may be the first killed in office, but I assure you that for as long as there are still problems, even without the war, he will not be the last.

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/alhtml/alrintr.html

http://books.google.com/books?id=oRtCAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=mary+chesnut#PPA380,M1

The Confederate's Defeat

2009-02-02T17:43:00.000-08:00

I cannont believe that this day has come; the day that the South surrenders to the North. Grant and Sherman both smashed through our lines with forces that greatly outnumbered us. General Hood is urging me to go west, to Texas maybe, in case this portion of South Carolina is overrun with Yankees. In the words of my friend Buck, "Now we belong to negroes and Yankees! I do not believe it." But there is no use in leaving now with all those Yankees already everywhere like the red ants they are. It was evident throughout the war how different our views can be. Because of their numbers they are willing to sacrifice any three for our one soldier. But now look what has happened. What will become of the Southern states?

http://books.google.com/books?id=oRtCAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=mary+chesnut#PPA378,M1

http://www.nps.gov/archive/apco/surrend.htm

Siege of Vicksburg

2009-02-02T14:48:00.000-08:00

Terrible news has just reached me. In Vicksburg, Mississippi, the Union's gunboats have crossed the river "spreading themselves over our fair Southern land like red ants." Grant and Sherman cut off the Confederate army from food, supplies, and all communication. When I heard a man read the headline from a newspaper, I almost fainted. It was like a stab to my heart when I found out that our boys were practically starved to surrendering on, of all days, July 4th. I now fear the worst of our Southern states.

http://books.google.com/books?id=oRtCAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=mary+chesnut#PPA205,M1

http://www.nps.gov/archive/vick/vcmpgn/siege.htm

The Battle of Gettysburg

2009-01-28T18:17:00.000-08:00

This day will forever go down in history as the turning point in this states' rights dispute, and the bloodiest day of the Civil War. For the first couple days of the battle, Lee seemed to be performing an excellent job at assaulting the Union lines, but the Northern defenders managed to hold their lines. On the third day, however, the Confederate army was forced back to Virginia while both sides suffered heavy losses. Around 50,000 men were casualties in the three-day battle, the most on American soil. How the South will recover from this, I know not, but for survival's sake I pray we do.

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=7&hid=13&sid=792c2b23-a383-4060-8134-383e467f580d@SRCSM2&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=afh&AN=J0E366325731506

The Battle of Chancellorsville

2009-01-27T18:29:00.000-08:00

Today was yet another victory for the Confederacy. Though Lee's men were outnumbered terribly, Major General Joseph Hooker's failed battle plan proved that the South shall never surrender to the Union. Both Jackson and Lee made some of the biggest stategy gambles so far, yet only Lee's seemed to be worth it. Though this was known as his "greatest victory", the casualties say another thing. Over 13,000 men had died during this battle, which counted for over 22% of Lee's army.

http://www.nps.gov/frsp/chist.htm

Emancipation Proclamation

2009-01-26T17:50:00.000-08:00

How could he have done this to us? "Lincoln threatens us with a proclamation abolishing slavery - here in the free Southern Confederacy." All the government officials - the men who will be safe - are meaning for this war to escalate over a decision that should be left as is. Abolitionists pushed Lincoln until he gave in and began this discussion with Congress, and now the consequences are obvious. It won't be too long before slaves begin walking right off the plantations and head towards the north.

http://books.google.com/books?id=oRtCAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=mary+chesnut#PPA153,M1

http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/library/features/ep/

The Bloody Battle of Sharpsburg

2009-01-23T18:05:00.000-08:00

Today is truely a sad day. Over 23,000 soldiers have been killed and the Confederacy fled Maryland. The North outnumbered us with almost twice as many men fighting, but we lost just as many. We cannot let this death toll rise: we must conquer the North and end this war.

http://www.history.army.mil/StaffRide/Antietam/Overview.htm#summary

First Battle of Manassas

2009-01-22T16:25:00.000-08:00

Too many have perished today. My husband is alright, but Colonol Johnston, Bee, and Bartow did not survive the Battle at Manassas. Even with these deaths, it shall still be considered a great victory for the South. What news it was to hear that those Yankees pulled back to their ground.

http://books.google.com/books?id=oRtCAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=mary+chesnut#PPA86,M1

http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=2&did=8736106&SrchMode=1&sid=2&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1232671268&clientId=19245

The Start of a War

2009-01-21T18:25:00.000-08:00

Only the night before, we were all discussing U.S. Army Major Robert Anderson and his fleet outside, and awaiting my husband's return from Fort Sumter. Anderson was a silly man who should of thought of the consquences of his would-be actions. But no, now we intercepted a letter from him and my husband was sent to ask him to surrender. If Anderson did not accept the terms by four in the morning, he would be fired upon. And that is exactly the events that followed.

I did not pretend to go to sleep that night, and how could I? It was so early on April 12th when I began hearing the shells and canons go off, the entire house was shaking. All us women ran to the rooftop and began praying as we see shells light up the sky, and we wonder why the fort wasn't firing back. The bombardment goes on into the night and Fort Sumter was ablaze by the morning of April 13th, yet Anderson still has yet to silence our guns.

http://books.google.com/books?id=oRtCAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=mary+chesnut#PPA39,M1

http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/abpp/battles/sc001.htm

Lincoln Elected President

2009-01-13T07:03:00.000-08:00

I was just on the train to Fernandina when my friend Tanny told me that Lincoln had been elected. "How do you know?" I asked, and she replied, "That man over there has a telegram." I couldn't help but overhear some people talkin' about how Lincoln was going to "Brown us all" with his black Republicanism. Now, as the daughter of a prominent South Carolina politician, I have to disagree with the outcome of the election. Though I was born and raised a Southern patriot, my opposing views on slavery are strong. I do have that in common with Lincoln, but that only. But now that he has been elected, I am afraid that a war is eminent. Slavery has to go, but the South does not have to go with it.

http://books.google.com/books?id=oRtCAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=mary+chesnut