Capital Dames: The Civil War and the Women of Washington, 1848-1868
Page 41
In addition to the people who helped me directly, I also had the advantage of many resources that were not available when I first started doing historical research. The digitization of newspapers and documents has lightened the load immeasurably. Two sites for newspapers: one free, chroniclingamerica.loc.gov, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, and one subscription, newspapers.com, make the ability to get the news as the people of the time were receiving it invaluable. The only problem is that they are so interesting you can spend all day reading them. The New York Times website also has an archive going back to the beginning. My friend Mary Regula has created a first rate research center at the National First Ladies’ Library, firstladies.org, and the Lincoln Institute, a project of the Lehrman Institute, has a very useful website, mrlincolnswhitehouse.org. A few more: the Civil War Preservation Trust, civilwar.org, is great on battles, the National Park Service is great on places, nps.gov, and the well-worth supporting National Women’s History Museum, nwhm.org is great on women.
There are two terrific books about Washington in the Civil War, the 1941 classic by Margaret Leech, Reveille in Washington: 1860–1865, is beautifully written but totally unsourced, which makes it tough for those of us coming after her. In his 2007 Freedom Rising: Washington and the Civil War, reporter Ernest B. Furgurson thankfully reveals his sources. Pat Furgurson was also very kind about getting back to me when I asked him for suggestions about women. Two other books that served as bibles: James McPherson’s Battle Cry of Freedom and Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals.
And now I must thank all of the people who have put this book and my life together. First, my friend and fabulous editor who keeps me laughing while she does great work, Claire Wachtel, and her assistant, Hannah Wood, who has had to take me on as a fulltime job and has done it graciously. Also at HarperCollins, Cindy Achar, John Jusino, and Lydia Weaver who did magic tricks to make the production of this book go as fast as it had to; Fritz Metsch did the interior design and Milan Bozic who designed the beautiful cover. And a big thanks to the big bosses, Jonathan Burnham and Michael Morrison, who are incredibly supportive and encouraging. DeeDee DeBartlo is the best publicist anyone can have and I am grateful to Harper for bringing her on to work with me again under the guidance of the great Rachel Elinsky. No project of mine would happen without Bob Barnett, dear friend and wise counselor. My good friends at work, Robin Sproul at ABC and Ellen McDonnell at NPR, help me patch up the holes I leave when I’m on deadline. Kim Roellig is my longtime friend and total support system. Without her my whole life would fall apart during a project like this. And then there’s my unbelievable husband of almost forty-nine years, Steven. He is always my biggest cheerleader but with this book he’s also had to be chief shopper and errand-runner, has had to put up with my hermit-like existence, looking none too lovely chained to my computer, and he’s done it with humor and understanding because he loves me. For that I thank him most of all. And I hope none of the humans are insulted that I am also grateful to our chocolate Lab Ella. She stays by my side, occasionally asking for a pet or giving me a lick, making me happy.
Cast of Characters
POLITICAL WOMEN
Abigail Brooks Adams
Anna Ella Carroll
Virginia Tunstall Clay
Varina Howell Davis
Adele Cutts Douglas
Jessie Benton Frémont
Julia Dent Grant
Rose O’Neal Greenhow
Harriet Lane
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Blair Lee
Mary Todd Lincoln
Dolley Madison
Louisa Rodgers Meigs
Kathryn Chase Sprague
LITERARY WOMEN
Lois Adams
Mary Clemmer Ames
Emily Briggs
Elizabeth Lomax
Sara Rice Pryor
Jane Swisshelm
Mary Jane Windle
ACTIVIST WOMEN
Clara Barton
Anna E. Dickinson
Dorothea Dix
Josephine Griffing
Elizabeth Keckley
Sojourner Truth
POLITICAL MEN
Charles Francis Adams—Husband of Abigail Brooks Adams
Thomas Hart Benton—Father of Jessie Benton Frémont
Montgomery Blair—Brother of Elizabeth (Lizzie) Blair Lee
James Buchanan—Uncle of Harriet Lane
Salmon P. Chase—Father of Kate Chase Sprague
Jefferson Davis—Husband of Varina Howell Davis
Stephen Douglas—Husband of Adele Cutts Douglas
John Charles Frémont—Husband of Jessie Benton Frémont
Samuel Philips Lee—Husband of Elizabeth (Lizzie) Blair Lee
Abraham Lincoln—Husband of Mary Todd Lincoln
William Seward—Father-in-law of Janet Seward
William Sprague—Husband of Kate Chase Sprague
MILITARY MEN
General Ulysses S. Grant—Husband of Julia Grant
“Fighting Joe” Hooker
Robert E. Lee—Husband of Mary Custis Lee
General George B. McClellan—Husband of Ellen Marcy McClellan
Montgomery Meigs—Husband of Louisa Rodgers Meigs
William Tecumseh Sherman—Husband of Ellen Ewing Sherman
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