Every Man His Own Historian: Civil War Diaries of Two Opposing Soldiers @ St Mary's College of Maryland

In her recent book From a Yankee to a Rebel Diary, Professor Mary Hall tells the story of a small “remembrancer” that belonged initially to a Union private who wrote in it faithfully for six months before abandoning it outside of Richmond in June 1862.  A Confederate soldier – Professor Hall’s great-grandfather – found the book and in entries spanning over thirty months, he wrote of illnesses that nearly killed him, a religious conversion that changed the arc of his life, and his grueling experiences as a prisoner of war.  

Professor Hall blends family history, archival research, and the broader historiography of Civil War soldiers in an examination of how personal narratives invite us to see the past through the eyes of those who lived it.  Her presentation offers a case study in how everyday people – then and now – participate in the making of history.

Historically Speaking is held in partnership with the Center for the Study of Democracy at St. Mary's College of Maryland.