Mary Chesnut kept her Diary from early in 1861, just before the Civil War began, to shortly after the end of the war, in 1865.
Her Diary is an important historic document and, because of her sharp wit and often irreverent attitude, a fascinating window into Southern society of the time..
The wife of a Confederate general, Mary Chesnut moved in the elite circles of Southern society and had a keen interest in politics.
While she would not consider herself a feminist, her Diary reveals sensibilities and concerns that place her far ahead of her time.
Her commentary on the conversations and events of her day reveals a keen awareness of the oppression to which women--lack or white, slave or free--were subjected during that period.
Though not a day-by-day account of the conflict, the Diary gives an up-close-and-personal view of this critical period in American history.
Mary Chesnut kept her Diary from early in 1861, just before the Civil War began, to shortly after the end of the war, in 1865
