Yankee in Atlanta

by Jocelyn Green

  The blood spilled for Atlanta was staggering on both sides. Union forces suffered 31,687 men killed, wounded, or missing during the campaign, and the Confederates 30,976. More than two-thirds of the Rebel losses came after Hood took command from Johnston. The surrender of Atlanta bolstered Lincoln’s public approval in the North, which clinched his reelection. The 1864 election was the first time soldiers were allowed to vote from the field. Any hope of peace negotiations evaporated along with any doubt that the war would be fought to its conclusion.

  Primary source material, photos, and other resources may be found at www.heroinesbehindthelines.com.

  Anbinder, Tyler. Five Points: The 19th Century New York City Neighborhood that Invented Tap Dance, Stole Elections, and Became the World’s Most Notorious Slum. New York, New York: Penguin Group, 2002.

  Bennett, William W. The Great Revival Which Prevailed in the Southern Armies during the Late Civil War between the States of the Federal Union. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Claxton, Remsen, & Haffelfinger, 1877.

  Blanton, Deanne and Lauren M. Cook. They Fought Like Demons: Women Soldiers in the Civil War. New York: Vintage Books, 2003.

  Bonds, Russell S. War Like the Thunderbolt: The Battle and Burning of Atlanta. Yardley, Pennsylvania: Westholme Publishing, 2009.

  Brown, Dee. The Galvanized Yankees. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 1986.

  Burrows, Edwin G. and Mike Wallace. Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999.

  Carrie Berry papers, MSS 29F, Kenan Research Center, Atlanta History Center.

  Current, Richard Nelson. Lincoln’s Loyalists: Union Soldiers from the Confederacy. New York, New York: Oxford University Press, 1992.

  Davis, Robert S., ed. Requiem for a Lost City: Sallie Clayton’s Memoirs of Civil War Atlanta. Macon, Georgia: Mercer University Press, 1999.

  Davis, Robert S. and Douglas W. Bostick. Civil War Atlanta. Charleston, South Carolina: The History Press, 2011.

  Davis, Stephen. What the Yankees Did to Us: Sherman’s Bombardment and Wrecking of Atlanta. Macon, Georgia: Mercer University Press, 2012.

  Dyer, Thomas G. Secret Yankees: The Union Circle in Confederate Atlanta. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999.

  Edwards, Laura F. Scarlett Doesn’t Live Here Anymore: Southern Women in the Civil War Era. Chicago, Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 2004.

  Farnham, Christie Anne. The Education of the Southern Belle: Higher Education and Student Socialization in the Antebellum South. New York, New York: New York University Press, 1994.

  Fraser, Walter J., Jr., R. Frank Saunders Jr., and Jon L. Wakelyn, editors. The Web of Southern Social Relations: Women, Family, & Education. Athens, Georgia: The University of Georgia Press, 1985.

  History of the Brooklyn and Long Island Fair, prepared by the Executive Committee. Brooklyn: “The Union,” Steam Presses, 1864.

  Hoehling, A. A. Last Train from Atlanta. New York City: Thomas Yoseloff, 1958.

  Holt, Marilyn Irvin. The Orphan Trains: Placing Out in America. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 1994.

  Jabour, Anya. Scarlett’s Sisters: Young Women in the Old South. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: University of North Carolina Press, 2007.

  Levine, Bruce. The Fall of the House of Dixie: The Civil War and the Social Revolution that Transformed the South. New York, New York: Random House, 2003.

  Marten, James. The Children’s War. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: University of North Carolina Press, 1998.

  Massey, Mary Elizabeth. Ersatz in the Confederacy: Shortages and Substitutions on the Southern Homefront. Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press, 1952.

  Massey, Mary Elizabeth. Refugee Life in the Confederacy. Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Louisiana State University Press, 1964.

  Mobley, Joe A. Weary of War: Life on the Confederate Home Front. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Publishers, 2008.

  Nisbet, Col. James Cooper. Four Years on the Firing Line. Chattanooga, Tennessee: The Imperial Press, digital edition 2012.

  Noe, Kenneth W. Reluctant Rebels: The Confederates Who Joined the Army after 1861. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: The University of North Carolina Press, 2010.

  Ott, Victoria E. Confederate Daughters: Coming of Age during the Civil War. Carbondale, Illinois: Southern Illinois University Press, 2008.

  Rable, George C. Civil Wars: Women and the Crisis of Southern Nationalism. Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1989.

  Rose, Michael. Atlanta: A Portrait of the Civil War. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 1999.

  Schurz, Carl. The Reminiscences of Carl Schurz. New York, New York: McClure Company, 1907.

  Taylor, Amy Murrell. The Divided Family in Civil War America. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: The University of North Carolina Press, 2009.

  Time-Life Books. Atlanta (Voices of the Civil War). Alexandria, Virginia: Time-Life Books, 1996.

  Venet, Wendy Hamand, ed. Sam Richards’s Civil War Diary: A Chronicle of the Atlanta Home Front. Athens, Georgia: The University of Georgia Press, 2009.

  Weitz, Mark A. A Higher Duty: Desertion Among Georgia Troops during the Civil War. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 2000.

  Wortman, Marc. The Bonfire: The Siege and Burning of Atlanta. New York, New York: PublicAffairs, 2010.

  To access a printable pdf of this discussion guide, go to www.moodypublishers.com/978-0-8024-0578-4. Click the “Resources” tab to download discussion guide.

  1. When we first meet Caitlin, she believes she is better off handling her own problems, rather than depending on anyone else. How do you balance personal responsibility with leaning on others for support and wisdom?

  2. Caitlin changed her appearance and behavior more than once in order to survive. When have you had to reinvent yourself to adjust to a new situation or environment?

  3. Atlanta Mayor James Calhoun voted against secession, but when war broke out, his own son enlisted, and he did everything he could to support the Confederacy. Have you ever had to support a decision with which you didn’t initially agree? What happened?

  4. There had been a time when Edward Goodrich would have done anything to woo his wife. Later, he had to be reminded to brush his teeth. Why do you think we sometimes stop trying to impress those who matter most to us?

  5. Ruby didn’t tell Edward the truth about her past until someone else exposed her. Would you ever keep a secret from your loved one? Why or why not?

  6. First John 4:18 says, “Perfect love casts out fear.” What does this verse mean to you?

  7. After his wedding, Edward discovered it was easier to minister outside his home than it was to tend his broken relationship with Ruby. Why do you think this was true?

  8. Desperate for her mother’s love, Ana grasped after Susan’s affection, though Susan did not reciprocate. How important is parental approval to you?

  9. The characters in this book felt loved through different expressions. Edward felt loved by physical touch. Ana craved time. What makes you feel most loved?

  10. Noah felt torn between antislavery principles and an obligation to defend his homeland. When have you felt conflicted about something you did? How did you handle it?

  11. If you were displaced from your home like the Southern refugees, and could only fill two suitcases from your home, what would you pack?

  12. Noah juggled his duty to country with his duty to Ana, which included going AWOL. When have you had to reevaluate your priorities with work and family and make changes?

  13. In what circumstances would it be more honorable to break the rules than to follow them?

  14. Caitlin’s loyalties and perspectives shifted during the story. What was the most surprising change of heart you’ve ever had?

  15. The ideal woman in the antebellum South possessed qualities of amiability, piety, a desire to please others, cleanliness, neatness, patience, industry, kindness, modesty, politeness, respect for elders, and obedience. How does this diffe
r from today’s standard of the ideal woman?

  16. The Southern home front learned to live with far less than they had been accustomed to. What have you learned to live without? How did that affect you?

  17. Vivian tells Caitlin, “Don’t let that hope hold you captive. Move forward with your life.” Have you ever been held captive by hope?

  18. Caitlin struggled to wait on the Lord instead of just waiting for Noah. When have you had to wait on the Lord?

  19. Ruby and Noah experienced prejudice because they were immigrants. How have you seen immigrants treated in your own community?

  20. At both the start and the close of the book, Caitlin says, “This is not the end. It is only the beginning.” When has one painful end in your life led to a new chapter?

  I could never bring Yankee in Atlanta to life without the help of many others. My gratitude and appreciation go to:

  Moody Publishers/River North Fiction, for their dedication to bring the Heroines Behind the Lines series to life.

  My agent, Tim Beals of Credo Communications, for his steadfast support.

  Rachel Hauck, author and consultant with My Book Therapy, for helping me brainstorm the plot.

  My husband, Rob, and children, Elsa and Ethan, for sharing me with a rigorous writing schedule, and for coming along to historic sites across the country while on vacation: the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park (Tennessee), the Rock Island Arsenal Museum (Illinois), The Museum of the Confederacy and The Siege Museum (Virginia), The National Homestead Monument (Nebraska), Western Historic Trails Center and Cedar Falls Historical Society (Iowa). For the record, I did visit Atlanta for research too, I just didn’t have my family with me. Special thanks to Elsa, whose speech and mannerisms inspired the character of Analiese.

  My parents, Peter and Pixie Falck, for watching my kids and bringing several meals over so I could write with minimal interruptions. Food preparation is the bane of my existence while on deadline.

  A host of friends and experts whose research across the country I could not do without: Trevor Beemon of the Atlanta History Center and Amy Reed of the Marietta Museum of History for information about Civil War Atlanta architecture and upper middle class lifestyle; Bettina Dowell for scouring the Library of Congress for Atlanta newspapers; Laura Frantz for help understanding the course of smallpox; Chief Wesley Harris for being my Civil War firearms expert; Peter Leavell for acting as both research assistant and critique partner; Sheila Usher Mounce for her lessons in horse behavior; Jordyn Redwood for answering my medical questions; Nora St. Laurent, Lyn Vivenzio, and Gail Mundy for help with Atlanta’s vegetation; Larry Upthegrove and Sara Henderson from Atlanta’s Oakland Cemetery for offering details about what the graveyard looked like in December 1863; and Mindelynn Young for researching prairie history in Independence, Missouri. Thanks also to the Civil War History and Nineteenth Century writers groups for their reliable guidance.

  My prayer team, for holding me up during the writing and editing process.

  L. L. Bean for making the best writing pants ever.

  Above all, I thank Jesus for the gift of words, for the power of story, and for being the Author of life itself.

  * * *

  Now that you have finished, share with your friends! Write a review on Goodreads and other book-sharing sites, Tweet & Facebook your thoughts on the subject, and share your testimony on how this book impacted you at mytestimony@moody.edu.

  Thank you,

  The Moody Publishers Team

  Enjoy other books in the Heroine Behind the Lines Series! Experience the life and sacrifices of military nurse, Charlotte Waverly, in Wedded to War.

  Here’s what others are saying about Wedded to War:

  “This novel left me in awe.”—Laurie Alice Eakes, author of Heart’s Safe Passage

  “The research behind this shines. Green’s descriptions of the first hospitals, the horrors of battlefield medicine, and the extraordinary courage and vision of the women who took on this challenge carry the whole book. For this alone it’s worth the read.”—Historical Novel Society

  Click HERE to view trailer for Wedded to War.

  Click HERE to view author Jocelyn Green discuss the Heroine Behind the Lines Series.

  IT WAS HARD WORK getting myself acceptable and accepted. What with people at home, saying “Goodness me! A nurse!” “All nonsense!” “Such a fly-away!” and what with the requisites insisted upon by the grave committees, I came near losing my opportunity.

  First, one must be just so old, and no older; have eyes and a nose and mouth expressing just such traits, and no others; must be willing to scrub floors, if necessary, etc., etc. Finally, however, by dint of taking the flowers out of my bonnet and the flounce off my dress; by toning down, or toning up, according to the emergency, I succeeded in getting myself looked upon with mitigated disapprobation, and was at last sat upon by the committee and passed over to the Examining Board.

  —GEORGEANNA WOOLSEY, written for the New York Sanitary Commission Fair, 1864

  “GEORGY IS MORE EARNEST than ever about being a nurse for the soldiers. I shall never consent to this arrangement unless some of her own family go with her.”

  —JANE ELIZA NEWTON WOOLSEY (Georgeanna’s mother) in a letter, May 1861

  Monday, April 22, 1861

  New York City

  When Charlotte and Alice told their mother they were taking the omnibus down Broadway, they weren’t lying. They just didn’t tell her where they would be getting off. There was simply no time for an argument today.

  Boarding at Fourteenth Street, the sisters paid the extra fare for their hoop skirts, as if they were separate passengers, and sat back on the long wooden bench for the ride.

  “This is against my better judgment, you know.” Alice’s voice was barely audible above the clatter of wheels and hoof beats over the cobblestones.

  “Don’t you mean Jacob’s?” Charlotte cast a sidelong glance at her sister.

  Alice twirled a ringlet of her honey-blonde hair around her finger—a nervous childhood habit she never outgrew—but said nothing.

  She didn’t have to. Ever since she had married the wealthy businessman a few months ago, she had been even more pampered—and sheltered—than she had been growing up. Heaven help her when they reached their destination.

  “I’ll have you home by teatime and none the worse for wear.” Charlotte’s voice was softened by just a hint of guilt. “I promise.”

  The omnibus wheels jolted over a broken cobblestone, bouncing the passengers on their benches. Releasing her grip from the edge of the bench, Alice raised an eyebrow at her sister. “Just tell me why I let you talk me into coming.”

  Charlotte grinned. “I’ve got an idea.”

  “Why do I have the feeling it isn’t a good one?” Alice planted her palms on the bench beside her again, bracing herself against the jarring ride.

  “Whatever you do you mean?”

  “Do you remember your idea to adopt that lame squirrel we found?”

  “I did let it go.” And there were more important things on Charlotte’s mind. She squinted at the front page of The New York Times held up by the man seated across from her. Washington Still Isolated—New York Seventh Regiment Arrives in Annapolis by Steam—

  “Only after it chewed through five of Mother’s best doilies and made a nest in the velvet armchair.”

  Charlotte turned from reading headlines to face her sister. “I was ten!”

  “And I was eight, and still old enough to know better. There were other times, too, like when you chose that outrageous reading on the value of a woman’s education to recite for our class at finishing school. Completely at odds with the context of the school.”

  Charlotte chuckled. “Exactly why it was so perfect! But today’s idea is even better. I’ve found a way to actually do something for the war effort.”

  “And what do you call knitting socks for the troops? Rolling bandages? Doesn’t that mean anything?”

&nb
sp; “Of course it does. But I mean something else. Something more.”

  Alice’s eyes narrowed, but she let it rest as the omnibus slowed to a halt and more passengers squeezed beside the sisters. Any further conversation would soon be drowned out by the cacophony of Broadway.

  The avenue throbbed with life, like an artery coursing down the island of Manhattan. Ten days into the war, recruiting offices for the Union army had already cropped up along the avenue, their entrances clogged with eager young men. Between Canal Street and Houston, the street teemed with gentlemen in spats and ladies in silks, their musk colognes and lavender perfumes cloying on the warm breeze. The white marble façade of St. Nicholas Hotel between Broome and Spring Streets dominated the west side of Broadway. In front of The Marble Palace facing Canal Street, porters in their brass-buttoned, blue uniforms opened carriage doors and escorted their elite customers inside, where they would no doubt spend staggering sums on the latest Parisian fashions.

  But Charlotte and Alice did not get off at any of these places. At least not today. For just a few blocks south of The Marble House, and just a few blocks east of the German-Jewish secondhand clothing shops on lower Broadway, the steady pulse of polished society gave way to the erratic beat of Five Points, the world’s most notorious slum.

  Alice squeezed her sister’s hand so tightly Charlotte couldn’t tell if it was motivated by anxiety or anger for bringing her here.

  If Broadway was Manhattan’s artery, Five Points was its abscess: swollen with people, infected with pestilence, inflamed with vice and crime. Groggeries, brothels, and dance halls put private sin on public display. Although the neighborhood seemed fairly self-contained, more fortunate New Yorkers were terrified of Five Points erupting, spreading its contagion to the rest of them.