Don't Hurry Me Down To Hades: The Civil War in the Words of Those Who Lived It. (General Military)

The Civil War affected a far higher percentage of the American population than any other conflict. Either side could have won this dreadful war and even after the Civil War was ended, the wounds continued to run deep for both the North and South.

Susannah Ural has cleverly woven together a chronological view of the Civil War through many descriptive documents and letters written from this era. She has truly brought the Civil War to life with rich historical detail.

Varina Howell Davis was the 2nd wife of Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederacy. Varina Davis was very opposed to secession, and her strong opinions, which she was not able to easily suppress, would cause problems for Jefferson Davis, but she was one of his closest confidents.

Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of President Lincoln, impressed very few people. She was self absorbed and used people in any way necessary to add to her security and her reputation suffered. She became a social embarrassment. She misused government funds for fictitious improvements on the White House. The First Lady lost her husband's attention to an all-consuming war and it took its toll on her. As a result she lived an astonishingly tragic life.

General Ulysses S Grant had a young son, Fred, who joined his father in camp during the war. While the war was separating nearly every family, North and South, the Grants' were determined to stay together. The General had his 12 year old son tagging along. Grant was a homebody who needed to be surrounded by his wife, Julia, and children. The General had a soft heart and reflective soul and Julia had been her husband's greatest champion.

Lizzie Bowler had fallen in love with James Madison Bowler when he was a schoolteacher in Minnesota, but now her faith was wavering. In four years of war, they shared only a total of 12 weeks together. And now it was time for him to come home and focus on his family.

The assassination of President Lincoln is told through Major Henry Rathbone and his wife Clara. The Rathbones attended the Ford Theater with President Lincoln and the First Lady, as their guests, on that fateful night. The Rathbone's story continues with lingering trauma and their lives end tragically.

So many stories to be told, most of them poignant, but the stories continue to unfold in this beautifully crafted book by this amazing writer. The extensive historical research in this book just astounds me - a wealth of information. Don't miss this one! 5 stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley to read and review. All opinions shared are solely my own.