The Roswell Women

by Frances Patton Statham

From the pages of American history comes The Roswell Women As they watched a nation being torn asunder, the women of Roswell, Georgia could hardly stand idle. Left without their men, they ran the Roswell mill to provide a flagging Confederate Army with proud gray uniforms. But their defiance branded them as traitors to the North and they were mercilessly shipped northward in an act decried as brutal by both North and South alike. Allison Forsyth—beautiful young widow of Captain Coin Forsyth, the regal plantation mistress would survive the ravages of imprisonment to find a new love—until a ghost from the past threatened her hard-won freedom. Madrigal O'Laney—the fiery redhead lured men from both sides of the war with a promise of love. But the promise had a price and one man thought it was too steep to pay. Rebecca Smiley—Both friend and servant, she had groomed her mistress, Allison, for the life of an aristocrat. Despite the war, she would see to it that she regained her rightful place. Flood Tompkins—Disguised as a man, she would survive the war to stake her claim to a fortune, and make a choice that could change Allison's life forever.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Book Club, Civil War

400 pages, Paperback

First published May 12, 1987

Reviews

[Debbie Holman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read

I enjoyed this book from the beginning. It’s a story of encouragement for women and leaves one wondering what happened to these women long ago. As a resident of Marietta, I love the history of my little town and enjoyed reading about what made our history what it is today.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a fictional novel based on a true event which happened during the Civil War when General Sherman arrived in Roswell, Georgia in July 1864 prior to the siege of Atlanta. The town of Roswell was where Mittie Bulloch, the wife of Theodore Roosevelt, Sr. was raised. They were married at Bullock Hall in 1853. But, this was not about the elite Bullocks this was about women who worked at a woolen mill and two cotton mills which Sherman burned. The men had joined the war effort and their wives were working to mill the fabric for their Confederate uniforms. Sherman arrested 450 women, children and the men owners and managers for treason, gave them nine days' food rations, and shipped them north across the Ohio River. This author chose to tell a fictional tale of what might have happened to the women, choosing 4 women to follow with their story. The story line held my attention from beginning to end. It was mentioned that authorities did not go along with Sherman's decision stating that transporting these women by train was using up time for transporting Union supplies which which were needed more than the immorality of transporting these women away from their homes and family. No record was ever found which any of these women wrote about what happened to them.

[Travelmaven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why have I never learned about this part of history? Probably because it involves women. Fictional account of a real issue during the Civil War - Southern women being deported throughout the country. Records destroyed. Would love to know more about what happened to them.
This story gives an idea of what the women of Roswell, Georgia, experienced as they were shipped by rail from Georgia to parts north, for the crime of working in a mill that produced fabric used for Confederate uniforms.

[Cheyenne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this book. The only critiques I have are that the rape scenes despite not being very graphic still made me rather uncomfortable. Overall though I loved the entire story and the main characters.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

book:The Roswell Women|2655972]

Set in the northwest Atlanta suburb of Roswell, this work of historical fiction will captivate any civil war enthusiast. In 1864 the Roswell Mill was being used to weave the cloth for civil war uniforms. When General Sherman came through the area he ordered the mill burned and anyone associated with it to be arrested for treason. This meant that over 400 women and their children were marched the 10 miles to Marietta and loaded on train cars to be shipped up north. Some died along the way, some remarried. Most never returned to Georgia.

I learned about this book from my art teacher, Sarah Brown (Atlanta, Georgia), who illustrated the front cover of one of the later editions. I loved it because The Roswell Mill was only about 13 miles from my home. Many emotions were stirred within me as I read this book: fear, pain, pity, outrage, and profound sadness. I can not imagine being ripped from my family and friends and dropped off somewhere else to start over on my own with only my children. It brought back some of the same feelings felt when I learned about "The Trail of Tears."

This is a must read book for anyone living in the Atlanta, Georgia, area and any civil war buff.

civil war
historical fiction

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading this because it was written from a southern woman's perspective of the Civil War. Love story, drama, adventure. If it wasn't a book club suggestion I never would have read it but I'm glad I did.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not literature, but interesting as I live nearby the site of the Roswell Mill.

[Erin Stolle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have given this 4 1/2 if I could have. My only complaint is the writing was a little disorganized from time to time, but the story was quite good!

[Traci · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a quick read my inner history dork loved it though it was a sad look what women had to do while men were off fighting. I enjoyed it but not best civil war romance story I read

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

an ok read