Soldiers At The Doorstep, a story of life behind enemy lines in Tidewater Virginia during the Civil War.
After visiting the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum this past week with my grandchildren and witnessing again the tally of soldiers wounded in the Civil War on both sides, this was the perfect time to pick up Soldiers At The Doorstep. The book is written by Larry S. Chowning and shares some interesting Civil War Lore. In the preface of the book he shares, “This book has been written to provide a feeling of what life was like in Tidewater, Virginia during the Civil War.”
I received the book to review. I love to read while traveling and while I read this one at home, it would be a great one to read aloud on the road. With short chapters depicting the oral history of Chownings stories of life behind enemy lines in Tidewater Virginia during the Civil War it would help while away the miles!
The stories Chowning tells come from the Southern perspective, both from slaves, Confederate soldiers and women and children that were left behind at home.
With his family history steeped in the deep south Chowning makes the war come alive with stories like one his great Uncle Charlie told him about a Yankee ship chasing a Confederate boat up the river that bordered their family home. Others told of the end of the war the search for any young men that may have fought against the north. There are stories of Union soldiers camping in yards of some of the southern families. This book brings home the reality of war and what it would have been like to have it brought to your very doorstep.
A fascinating read and something to remember when thinking of the history of the Wars that we read about in history books. It is easy to read about battles and generals and the whys and wherefores of what caused the war and who won etc. but easy to forget about the individuals, the people, the children that lived through those times.
To get your own copy of https://www.amazon.com/Soldiers-Doorstep-Civil-War-Lore/dp/0870335197. More information can also be found at www.schifferbooks.com.
