Mary Boykin Chesnut: A Biography

by Elisabeth Muhlenfeld, C. Vann Woodward (Foreword)

"In her admirable biography of Mary Chesnut, Elisabeth Muhlenfeld has American literature as well as American history in her debt." -- C. Vann Woodward
Mary Boykin Miller Chesnut (1823--1886) is known today for her excellent firsthand account of life in the Confederate States of America. A Diary from Dixie (republished in 1981 as Mary Chesnut's Civil War)is far more than a simple diary, however, for Mrs. Chesnut's drawing room was a social center for many of the most prominent political and military figures in the Confederacy. Elisabeth Muhlenfeld's expert biography utilizes Mrs. Chesnut's autobiographical writings, her papers, and those of her family, as well as published sources. It traces her life in South Carolina from her childhood, as the daughter of a governor and United States senator, through her schooling and her marriage to James Chesnut, Jr., the son of a wealthy South Carolina planter. During the war her husband served as an aide to P. G. T. Beauregard and to Jefferson Davis, achieving the rank of general.
Muhlenfeld emphasizes Mary Chesnut's last twenty years, when she helped her family through the intricacies of repaying immense debts incurred during the Civil War, rebuilding wrecked homes, and reestablishing some measure of order and security. These were also the years of her serious writing. She experimented with fiction, writing three novels and translating others from the French; and in 1881 she began the last revisions of her Civil War journal. In the descriptive passages, characterizations, thematic patterns, and overall structure of the revised journal, Chesnut employed the techniques she had learned by writing fiction.
Besides adding to our knowledge of this unusual nineteenth-century southern woman, Mary Boykin A Biography enhances our knowledge of the history of women in general as it delineates the transformation of a wartime diary into the chronicle that remains a major document in southern history.

Genres: History, Civil War, Biography

302 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1981

About the author

A graduate of Goucher College, Elisabeth Showalter Muhlenfeld earned a master's in English from the University of Texas-Arlington and a Ph.D. in English from the University of South Carolina. She taught at Florida State University, and served as president of Sweet Briar College from 1996 until her retirement in 2009.

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

While visiting Columbia, South Carolina we stayed at a small bed and breakfast, Mary Chestnut House, because of its connection to the Civil War (the Civil War being part of the theme of our trip). We knew nothing about Ms. Chestnut prior to arrival; however, there were many books documenting her life and adventures. After reading the introductions to several of the books I decided to dive deeper. Muhlenfeld has done a good job bringing a woman who was an exception to her times to life. Mary Boykin Chestnut was well educated and extroverted, two characteristics that allowed her to circulate with confidence among the members of the south's planter class as well as Civil War officers. She married well, though she was to learn later not as well as she thought. She had the opportunity to mingle with the movers and shakers in Washington D. C. when her husband was voted to the Senate. While in DC Varina Davis, wife of Jefferson Davis, became a very close friend. Her husband was the first southern Senator to resign from Congress when Abraham Lincoln was voted President. Thus their course was laid, and hers, to support the southern cause. Mary Chestnut kept extensive diaries during this period of political turmoil and throughout the Civil War. Her story becomes somewhat more elusive following the Civil War due to hardships she and hers were working to overcome following the war. She supported her husband throughout their marriage and wanted to publish a biography on him; however, several recommended the south was no longer interested in stories of generals and that her story would be of more interest. Mary began to polish her diaries and in the midst of doing so wrote several books of fiction that in some respects are autobiographical. Unfortunately, she did not complete the revisions to her diaries to the point of publication prior to her death. While said diaries have since been published, on three different occasions, and are considered an excellent source of information about the South during the Civil War, one must read them with a questioning mind. First, Mary worked through at least 3 revisions 20 plus years following the war so details no doubt were modified. Second, the persons to whom she bequeathed the papers further revised them prior to publication in the early 1900s in order to protect people mentioned. Third, the version of the published diary, the one most highly acclaimed, was highly romanticized. A copy published more recently takes all of the aforementioned into account. Which brings the reader to ask, after reading this book, and learning that Ms. Chesnut was not the greatest writer, why read diary? Muhlenfeld, an academician, approaches Ms. Chestnut's attempts at fiction writing, a source of income many turned to following the civil war, like an English teacher. While the professor gives Chestnut credit for be a wonderful observer of events and emotions, she is very critical of the lack of plot. While dissecting Chestnut's writing there were passages when I was not sure whether I was reading one of Chestnut's books of fiction or the story of Mary Chestnut. Ms. Chestnut lead an adventurous life at a turbulent time in the history of the United States. As a very strong minded, and maybe even strong willed, woman she was able to survive and thrive in spite of the twists and turns life brought to her doorstep.

[Sonja · Rating 3 out of 5]

I ran across this book when I was clearing out my bookshelves. Can't remember where, when or why I bought this book but it looked a bit interesting. Maybe I should have read her own book, A Diary from Dixie, instead. This one was interesting but not compelling. And, actually, when the author shared Chesnut's own words, her writing didn't seem that great to me. But when I saw that Mary's own book had 5 stars, then it makes me wonder. However, one does get the impression of what a "wonder woman" Mary was, being able to do all she did in a time when it wasn't easy. She seemed like one of those women who win all the blue ribbons at a State Fair - a person who does everything just right and makes it seem easy. Her life certainly wasn't easy - and it's a marvel that she traveled so much during the years when it took forever to get from one place to another. So, maybe one of these days, I'll buy Mary's book to see what I missed.

[Brendan Steinhauser · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh...

[NDH · Rating 5 out of 5]

An essential follow-up to Mary Chesnut’s diary/memoirs that helps structure people, places, and events in the framework of MBC’s life. I also greatly appreciated the author’s discussion of MBC’s novels and how they influenced her diary/memoirs.

[David Vanness · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bio of a very remarkable woman that is meat for a true American history buff.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A magnificent biography. Loved it from start to finish.