Myra Inman: A Diary of the Civil War in East Tennessee

by Myra Inman, William R. Snell (Editor)

Myra Inman began her diary in January 1859 and kept it until January 1866. As a thirteen-year-old girl in southeast Tennessee, her literary endeavor would lead to a more serious subject than mere recordings of the weather and the occasional visitor. While the tension between the South and the North was growing, Myra had only thoughts of her day-to-day life. But as the possibility of war grew and finally fell upon her and her family and their town of Cleveland, Tennessee, she became an astute observer of the war. In short, Myra Inman, a member of a prominent but not wealthy family, came of age in the greatest conflict America had yet seen. Myra records encounters with soldiers on both sides, yet her heart was faithful to her South. Cleveland was a hybrid town, harboring support for both sides of the conflict. As the War develops, her diary shifts from domestic issues to political reflections on the War between the States.

Genres: History, War, Nonfiction, Historical, Civil War

432 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2000

Reviews

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy the diary, but was disappointed by the brevity of most entries. This is a diary, not an in-depth journal. Some entries are as brief as "Pretty day." She might mention that she finished a chemise. This is the diary of a young girl, so her war knowledge is limited to soldiers and citizens who visited the Inman boarding house, sympathetic comments about the Confederate cause, hardships suffered by the family, and vague rumors about nearby troop movements. Occasionally, a rebel raid is close enough to town to warrant a diary entry. There is no war strategy or serious discussion of war events.

Most of the events are only of local interest for the Cleveland, Tennessee, area. The family vacations at Cohutta Springs (near Summerour Chapel) in Murray County, Georgia, once during the summer. Myra also visits friends near Dandridge. Myra is a Southern sympathizer and remains so throughout the war. She resents local Unionists or "Lincolnites." It's interesting to see how her daily routine changes when the Union army comes into town. The northern officers often take meals at the Inman boarding house; occasionally one spends the night.

She does mentions local citizens by name ~ mainly her friends, some of whom are prominent citizens. The slaves are interesting, and seem to be a part of the family; she loves the older woman almost as a mother. She sews clothing for them, which is one of her chores.

I would recommend the diary to people who are specifically researching the Inman and Lea families; to those who are researching the Civil War only as it relates to minor events or people in Cleveland, Tennessee; or to those who enjoy reading about such local topics. It might be of interest to those who want to look at other aspects of slavery, outside the normal stereotypes ~ but there are only a few entries that deal with this topic.

I bought the Myra Inman diary because of a possible link to my family tree, but the listing was too vague to use. However, as I began work on another family story, the diary turned out to be very helpful. I was able to pinpoint dates that the Yankees entered Cleveland or Charleston, Tennessee, dates of rebel raids, specific officers who visited the Inmans, etcetera. These were only helpful insofar as I could cross-reference the entries to other sources, but I did end up using the diary a good bit for that reason. I read it twice and still use it for lookups.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book very interesting because Myra lived in Cleveland, Tennessee, near my hometown in Polk County. I enjoyed reading about familiar places as she had known them. It was informative too to read this young woman's diary. She lived such a sheltered life and mainly gauged the effects of this war and change upon her daily life. So naive, but that's how 13-year-old girls tend to be.