“The photograph album will afford both Chesnut scholars, students of American culture and literature, and Civil War buffs alike an absolute treasure trove of primary source material to study and celebrate. In this two-volume collection, Daniels reanimates Chesnut’s ambition to share her epic view of the great tragedy of Civil War as we never have seen it vivified before.”
—Julia Stern, Northwestern University, author of Mary Chesnut’s Civil War Epic
“An engrossing work! I was fascinated by the saga of the cartes de visite . . . this conveys the excitement of the hunt, and more importantly it is clear to me that Chesnut’s careful amassing of these photographs evidences the seriousness over many years with which she worked on a publishable version of her journals.”
—Elisabeth Muhlenfeld, biographer of Mary Chesnut, former president of Sweet Briar College,
chairman of the American Civil War Center
This exquisitely produced two volume set includes Mary Chesnut’s diary, which was originally published forty years after the Civil War, and her personal picture albums. Lost or stolen since the 1930s, the albums were only rediscovered in 2007 and filled with annotated pictures of the many people found throughout Mary Chesnut’s personal diary. The diary itself has been enhanced by cameos and woodcuts throughout each chapter.
About the Authors
Martha M. Daniels provides an introduction to both volumes. Her well-researched accounts give life to the photographs accompanying the diary for the first time. She is a member of the eighth generation of the Chesnut and Williams family to preserve Mulberry Plantation—the original home of James and Mary Chesnut.
Barbara E. McCarthy lives in Camden, South Carolina, on her horse farm. Her background in medical interpretation and interest in horses and history led to a collaboration with Daniels. McCarthy works in the Mulberry Archives transcribing old documents, digitizing records, and researching Southern history.
James Everett Kibler is a writer and professor of English at the University of Georgia and recipient of the Jefferson Davis Lifetime Achievement Award for his literary works.