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The Civil War Out My Window: Diary of Mary Henry
The daughter of Joseph Henry, one of America's most renowned scientists, Mary Henry was 21-years-old when her family moved into the only castle in Washington, D.C., the Smithsonian Institution Building. A prolific writer and astute observer, Mary began recording a diary in 1858, including a daily log of her personal reflections, events at the Smithsonian and conversations she had shared with many of the most influential leaders in America. It would have been impossible for the youthful lady, filled with juvenile yearnings and wanderlust, to have imagined the unspeakable horrors that would soon fill the pages of her blank diary, as she penned her first entry in November 1858. Mary’s entries include personal conversations with Abraham Lincoln, General Ulysses S. Grant, common citizens and captured southern troops. A staunch unionist and American patriot, the young woman’s diary reveals the incredible dilemma held by millions of Americans throughout the war between the states – as she often sympathized with the southern plight, mourned Confederate causalities and criticized the Lincoln administration’s every move. Though her writings provide one of the greatest insights into the Civil War in the past quarter-century, Mary’s diary is far more than a collection of random thoughts on matters of science and politics. Her diary is a story of both a young woman and a struggling nation coming to age in the latter half of the nineteenth century.
262 pages, Paperback
First published November 28, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 26, 2017
A Glimpse At The Past
Having read several diaries of women written during the Civil War, this is the first that I have read by a northern woman. Although it is difficult to critique a diary, I was a bit disappointed. A large portion is dedicated to recording visits and visitors. The accounts of Lincoln's assassination and Johnson's impeachment proceedings were interesting but the information on the Civil War was somewhat sparse. All in all, I'm glad I read it. Reading this account, one can't help but notice the huge difference between the experiences of northern women as apposed to those in the south.
Having read several diaries of women written during the Civil War, this is the first that I have read by a northern woman. Although it is difficult to critique a diary, I was a bit disappointed. A large portion is dedicated to recording visits and visitors. The accounts of Lincoln's assassination and Johnson's impeachment proceedings were interesting but the information on the Civil War was somewhat sparse. All in all, I'm glad I read it. Reading this account, one can't help but notice the huge difference between the experiences of northern women as apposed to those in the south.
February 10, 2015
The rating is for the editorial contribution to this paperback edition self-published using the Amazon Createspace system. The rating for the diary itself would be 5 stars.
As with any editorial endeavor there are two aspects of the final book. The first is the source material, in this case the diary of Mary Henry, adult daughter of Joseph Henry, the first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and key scientific adviser during the Civil War. Beginning on November 23, 1858 and continuing somewhat erratically through April 4, 1868, Mary gives us incredible insights into the inner world not only of the Smithsonian, but of the ongoing war effort and key personalities.
We find, for example, that she didn't particularly care for Lincoln (the Henry family had been friends with Jefferson Davis and others who moved South at the onset of the war), that she had insider knowledge of some of the political discussions and personages of the day, and that she didn't always discern between rumor and fact. The diary is extremely useful and often entertaining as a window into the war, along with the few years before and after.
The diary, however, can be accessed online and provides all this information to the reader for free. What one expects from an edited and annotated version for purchase is some additional insight from the editor. There is none. The editor provides only sporadic footnotes that do little, if anything, to improve on the information gained from the text of the diary itself. While the editor can be congratulated for formatting the diary into book format, the reader gains nothing they wouldn't have gained simply by reading the documents as they are posted online for free download. That's a shame, because there are hundreds of important events and people Mary refers to that could have been brought to life by a professional editor and historian.
So if you simply want to read the diary, you can do so either in this book format or online with equal value. If you expect some valuable additional insights you won't find it here.
As with any editorial endeavor there are two aspects of the final book. The first is the source material, in this case the diary of Mary Henry, adult daughter of Joseph Henry, the first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and key scientific adviser during the Civil War. Beginning on November 23, 1858 and continuing somewhat erratically through April 4, 1868, Mary gives us incredible insights into the inner world not only of the Smithsonian, but of the ongoing war effort and key personalities.
We find, for example, that she didn't particularly care for Lincoln (the Henry family had been friends with Jefferson Davis and others who moved South at the onset of the war), that she had insider knowledge of some of the political discussions and personages of the day, and that she didn't always discern between rumor and fact. The diary is extremely useful and often entertaining as a window into the war, along with the few years before and after.
The diary, however, can be accessed online and provides all this information to the reader for free. What one expects from an edited and annotated version for purchase is some additional insight from the editor. There is none. The editor provides only sporadic footnotes that do little, if anything, to improve on the information gained from the text of the diary itself. While the editor can be congratulated for formatting the diary into book format, the reader gains nothing they wouldn't have gained simply by reading the documents as they are posted online for free download. That's a shame, because there are hundreds of important events and people Mary refers to that could have been brought to life by a professional editor and historian.
So if you simply want to read the diary, you can do so either in this book format or online with equal value. If you expect some valuable additional insights you won't find it here.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews