Diary of a Union Lady, 1861-1865

by Maria Lydig Daly, Jean V. Berlin (Introduction), Harold Earl Hammond (Editor)

Rumor, gossip, and innuendo are the weapons of the home front, and no one wielded them with quite the aplomb of Maria Lydig Daly. Her richly detailed comments on everything from inept Union generals to Dorothea Dix’s appearance provide the liveliest memoir to emerge from a Northern noncombatant. Daly was the wife of a prominent New York City judge whose connections allowed her to meet many major figures involved in Northern military and diplomatic strategy. Despite catty comments about Mrs. Lincoln and less-than-flattering appraisals of Union generalship, Daly could be sympathetic toward the suffering of the soldiers. She noted the fear with which many viewed the draft, seeing it as a terrible incursion on liberty, but she understood that the times called for severe measures.

Genres: Civil War

396 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2000

Reviews

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author of this diary was the wife of a well known New York City judge. Given his position, she was able to meet a lot of key figures involved in the civil war. She had a lot of opinions on Mary Todd Lincoln, Dorothea Dix, and a lot of military leadership. She also spoke about the hardships that the soldiers experienced. Warfare, even in modern times, is expressly difficult, especially when it carries on for years. Soldiers during this time experienced more disease, lack of food supply, inadequate supplies, and the travel took much longer. I appreciated that she made mention of this, despite her being set up with a life of plenty, even during war times.

I did not expect to like this book at all. I am not really into Civil War history, but I bought a bunch of books on sale a while back to learn more. Diaries like this are usually either amazing or very dull. I assumed this one would be terribly dull. It was the exact opposite. This diary was really readable. This woman was PETTY. She was witty and sarcastic, and I really enjoyed her personality. You really get a sense of someone's personality through their writing. I will say that some of her information is incorrect, but her observations are really great for gaining insight into life during the Civil War.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maria Lydig Daly was a snarky, petty woman, but she was definitely a vital personality. She seldom had anything nice to say about another woman and most men did not meet her standards either. Her diaries, therefore, are highly entertaining. It is also fascinating to read her impressions of notable New Yorkers. I've seen Albert Bierstadt's paintings. I know Townsend Harris's name because he has a very popular high school named after him in Queens! I've seen photos of Edwin Booth's preserved apartments at the Player's Club. It is all a little dry. The best thing about these old diaries is getting a glimpse of historical figures in all their humanity from someone who knew them personally.

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorry but this book is rated-5 stars. I can not understand why this book was even published. Her writings are hard to follow. Her view points change constantly. Nothing of importance is gained from her ramblings.