Diary from Dixie

This is a facsimile edition of the journal of Mary Chesnut, wife of James Chesnut, an aide to Jefferson Davis and a Brigadier-General in the Confederate army. Written 1860-65, illustrated. This is not just a 'home front' account, Mrs. Chesnut was privy to a lot of military information, and quotes from many letters sent to Confederate wives from their husbands. 424 pages.

This book deserves 5 stars for educational value alone. While it does have its slow points, I can say that I have learned more about antebellum culture and Southern war perspective from this book than any other I have read up to this point. The book gives us a glimpse into the mindsets of a demographic of the Southern population we can rarely find anywhere else, and it's incredible to believe that this work was almost thrown into the fire for fear of capture when McClellan's forces dwelt a mere six miles from Richmond's door in early 1862.

This primary source document is one of the best windows we have into southern society during the American Civil War. Mary Chestnut was a southern aristocrat, married to the man who was the first to resign his seat in the US Senate before the war. She knew many prominent Confederate leaders well--Jefferson Davis, John Bell Hood, and Wade Hampton among them--and was acquainted with nearly all of the major players in the war (she even spent several occasions in the company of Robert E. Lee and Joseph Johnston). Because she knew so many people, she was in a position to cast a very revealing light on the war from the southern point of view. Besides knowing so many influential leaders, Mary Chestnut also lived in both Confederate capitals--Montgomery, Alabama and Richmond, Virginia--while they were the government seats. Her husband's plantation was in South Carolina, and in fact her home in Columbia, South Carolina lay right in the path of Sherman's destructive march through the South. As such, Chestnut is poised to offer very interesting commentary on the fire that burned much of that city. Mary and her husband gave their all to the Confederacy, and lost much of what they had because of the Civil War. Several things in this journal are unique and worthy of mention. First, Chestnut and her friends are living the high life for much of the war, having parties, dinners, and luncheons and more-or-less living it up, even when the Yankees are approaching Richmond. They live comfortable lives, and, though Mary has a very insightful perspective into the suffering of her soldiers, she often spends as much time complaining about some minor inconvenience (such as being without her maid for a week) as she does deploring the sorry state of the starved and ill-clothed soldiers. Mary does what she can, and helps in many ways, but she is not willing to give up her parties, even when her husband repeatedly begs her too. This diary also provides a unique view of slavery. A staunch abolitionist, Chestnut hated slavery less for the cruel treatment of the slaves than for the insolent behavior of many of them. Her husband's slaves were well taken care of, and did less work than they consumed in goods. Mary recounts many horrific tales of what happened when the slaves were set free--a story of a white family going along a road and picking up a wagonload of Negro infants which had been abandoned by parents enjoying their freedom, for example. She never questions that slavery is wrong, but she does argue that Harriet Beecher Stowe's account of slavery was the exception, not the rule. This is an interesting perspective, whatever the truth of it. All in all, this is a great diary, and a splendid resource. Thank goodness this book has been reissued. The edition edited by Ben Ames Williams contained unsatisfactory notes, including some in which Williams shamelessly engaged in self-promotion of his novel. This book is indispensable for anyone looking for primar

This narrative has the rare quality of allowing the reader to view the author's world through their glasses. The reader quickly slips into Mrs Chestnut's value system and truely appreciate the highs and lows of Confederate society, the wealth and hardship, privileges and privations of those who sat hearthside. Additionally, rare personal glimpses insights are provided on some of the movers and shakers of Confederate government, military and society. Such glimpes are delicious and slighly voyeuristic!A great view, not by a driver in history, but one along for the ride.

The keeper of this diary writes in an intimate and honest manner about herself and those around her, and about Southern hopes for victory or at least peaceful co-existence. The diary entries draw you in to her world. You feel like you are chatting with her in the parlor or at her desk as she relates the events of the day, what famous figures she dined or went riding with, etc. Very enjoyable and poignant to read. This was a brave woman who did her best under consistently deteriorating circumstances. I found her comments about her marriage particularly surprising and honest given the standards and social mores of the time. Her husband seems emotionally remote and she chides him for being so. Definitely not given to "hero worshipping," the author gives her honest opinions - good and bad - of just about everyone around her. I recommend this book, even if you aren't a Civil War buff.