Iron Confederacies: Southern Railways, Klan Violence, and Reconstruction Book

While the war slogged on for many years, longer than just about anyone expected, life changed drastically for combatants and non-combatants alike. Written mainly in the words of the participants: white Union soldiers, black Union soldiers, white Confederate soldiers, black Confederate soldiers, white officers from both sides, black officers from both sides, many civilians and mothers.... from those who wanted to know about the whereabouts of loved ones, whether their sons or husbands would be paid soon, if equipment or medical supplies would be arriving soon... questions about treatment of troops still in service after the Emancipation Proclamation, what to do about the civilian families who were following the troops??

Many of these questions were answered; and many were not. The immediacy of the questions puts the reader right in the middle of the action. The lack of response in many cases seems very cruel, and leads to frustration throughout the book. Certainly not as cruel as some of the conditions the soldiers were fighting under, or their families who were waiting to hear with no pay for food or clothing while waiting many months for a response.

But none of it was easy, and didn't meet the expectations of many. A new world had to be completely re-arranged, and all new rules begun. There were no quick or easy answers.