Mary Boykin Chesnut is one of the most important voices of the American Civil War with her unique perspective from inside Confederate halls of power. Her husband James Chesnut, Jr, served in the South Carolina legislature, and in 1858 was elected to the U.S. Senate. He resigned from office after Lincoln's 1860 win, then returned south to help draft the ordinance of secession and attend the First Confederate Congress. He was a close aide to Jefferson Davis for much of the war as history unfolded.
Thursday, August 20, 2015
27 May 1861
"They look for a fight in Norfolk. Beauregard is there. I think if I were a man I'd be there, too. Also, Harper's Ferry is to be attacked."
