A Blockaded Family: Life in Southern Alabama During the Civil War

by Parthenia Hague, Elizabeth Fox-Genovese (Introduction)

A memorable and fascinating glimpse into the Civil War home front.

Parthenia Hague experienced the Civil War while employed as a schoolteacher on a plantation near Eufaula, Alabama. This book recounts how a frightened and war-weary household dealt with privations during the blockade imposed on the South by the federal navy. The memoir of Parthenia Hague is a detailed look at the ingenious industry and self-sufficiency employed by anxious citizens as the northern army closed in.


Elizabeth Fox-Genovese is Eleonore Raoul Professor of Humanities at Emory University and author of a number of volumes, including Within the Plantation Household; Black and White Women of the Old South.

Genres: History, Civil War, War, Nonfiction, American Civil War, Ebooks

204 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1888

Reviews

[Isidore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of the many Civil War memoirs by Confederate ladies, no one is likely the choose Parthenia's book as the most dramatic: she had the good fortune not to encounter the horrors of war at first hand, and only a brief visit near the end to the ruins of Columbus, GA takes her into the territory explored by Mary A.H. Gay and many others.

Parthenia spent most of the war teaching school in a small town in Alabama, and her narrative dwells heavily on everyday domestic life, with particular emphasis on how ordinary people coped with shortages resulting from the Federal blockade. There is exhaustive detail about manufacturing clothing, most of which went over my head: prior knowledge of the craft of weaving is necessary to grasp what is going on (and it is precisely this kind of unique, homely detail which is lacking in most memoirs of this kind, making this one of particular value to historical specialists). Other matters, such as the creation of coffee substitutes and the manufacture of sugar are accessible even to those of us accustomed to buying everything in plastic wrap.

Despite its relative tranquility, the book has memorable moments. Parthenia had a gift for evoking a scene, and several linger in the reader's memory: a bridal party under the moon for a household slave ("a vision of fairy-land"); glimpses through a carriage window of bucolic scenes not yet touched by war ("Now an open field of corn, green of blade, gently billowed by the wind, an old gray-haired farmer plowing, seemingly oblivious to all surrounding objects, and singing, as if from the fullness of a glad soul, the refrain, 'I have some friends in glory'"); and, most memorable of all, the serio-comic episode in which the invading Yankees do not come tramping into her village.

As usual with these memoirs, there is an inclination to romanticize the antebellum world, and Parthenia is unashamed of her racism. Elizabeth Fox-Genovese's introduction provides useful context.

[Lewis D, Corvene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting First Person Historical Account


Very well expressed Southern perspective of the home front during the War Between the States. A bit heavy on the knitting, weaving and dress making but otherwise very well done.

[Linda Hudson]

Short and sweet. A wonderful read for history buffs. I especially enjoyed how the women found ways to dress themselves and their servants during wartime. They had to scavenge, hunt, and work hard to feed their families. The author goes into detail as to reasons there was no food available for their families, soldiers, or prisoners during the war.

[Tracy Flickigner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book.

[LaNell Mueller · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Treasure Trove

This author has laid bare the trials and tribulations of southerners during the war between the states. The details are so clear that one can't help but visualize them in ones own mind and want to know exactly how things were done that allowed the people to survive.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

She reveals how the family lived during the Civil War. A great deal of information is how they made clothes and shoes. The last few chapters describe how devastating the Union soldiers were. Basically, it is a description of life.

[S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this e-book on Barnes & Noble instead:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-bl...
(The Amazon link went to a blank page with a dog picture.)

[Avis Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of the book is a bit like one of Eliot Wigginton's Foxfire books, a study in how the author and other blockaded Southerners rediscovered many of the old crafts their grandparents would have known and used. We tend to forget that even by the 1861, the economy of the US had been transformed, and many people no longer remembered how to make everything they needed. The second half consists of accounts about the arrival of the Northern armies, many of these stories being gathered from her neighbors. However, Hague's own family avoided most of the depredations committed by Sherman's troops.

[Patsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a short history book originally published in 1888. Written by a young girl who persevered during the Civil War.

An essential historical lesson to learn about the hardships in the Southern home front during the Federal Navy Blockade in Alabama during the Civil war. Turning their cotton crops into wheat crops because cotton wasn't selling.

A family with slaves living to make-do with what they had. A good book with trials and hardships but never giving up. An interesting book, written almost as an documentary so many years ago.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very detailed descriptions of the struggles and challenges of Southerners during the darkest time in the history of the South. The strength and ability to improvise to meet their needs was extraordinary. Enjoyed the read.

Loved the detailed descriptions. They provide excellent insight into the lives of the people during a very difficult time in history. It was an easy to read and understand book and the author's research is apparent. Nice job!