Mississippi in the Civil War: The Home Front

Heritage of Mississippi Series

by Timothy B. Smith

In Mississippi in the Civil The Home Front , Timothy B. Smith examines Mississippi's Civil War defeat by both outside and inside forces. From without, the Union army dismantled the state's political system, infrastructure, economy, and fighting capability. The state saw extensive military operations, destruction, and bloodshed within her borders. One of the most frightful and extended sieges of the war ended in a crucial Confederate defeat at Vicksburg, the capstone to a tremendous Union campaign. As Confederate forces and Mississippi became overwhelmed militarily, the populace's morale began to crumble. Realizing that the enemy could roll unchecked over the state, civilians, Smith argues, began to lose the will to continue the struggle. Many white Confederates chose to return to the Union rather than see continued destruction in the name of a victory that seemed ever more improbable. When the tide turned, Unionists and African Americans boldly stepped up their endeavors. The result, Smith finds, was a state vanquished and destined to endure suffering far into its future. The first examination of the state's Civil War home front in seventy years, this book tells the story of all classes of Mississippians during the war, focusing new light on previously neglected groups such as women and African Americans. The result is a revelation of the heart of a populace facing the devastating impact of total war.

Genres: Civil War

260 pages, Paperback

First published April 8, 2010

About the author

A former NPS ranger at Shiloh, Timothy B. Smith teaches history at the University of Tennessee at Martin.

Reviews

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a delightful although niche tale of the state of Mississippi's fortunes during the Civil War. While many states were eventually involved, Mississippi was one of the original seven Confederate States to secede and suffered particularly during the war. Many readers are aware that Vicksburg was a seminal chess piece in the Civil War, but may be unaware that other Mississippi cities such as Corinth, Grenada, Holly Springs, Jackson, Meridian, Oxford, Raymond, and Yazoo City also played a part in this western theater. This narrative touches on each.

The book is organized by major subject area. Thus religion in Mississippi has its own chapter, as does transportation and the economy. Politics is also treated in depth, especially since it was a political action that separated Mississippi from the Union. Set up in this fashion, the reader is allowed to see the detail surrounding each facet as played out in Mississippi. If you are looking for a detailed account of the impact of the Civil War on a single state, this just might be your book. What happened during the Civil War in Mississippi set the stage for most everything that followed during the next century, as typified by the Civil Rights movement in the state.

In the end, after the Civil War and Reconstruction Mississippi was left in ruins, something from which it really hasn't recovered even 157 years later. The state of Mississippi remains poor, with the lowest per-capita income in these United States. This was a good read and very approachable. Recommended.