| Abstract |
"The Civil War is often considered a 'soldiers' war,' but Life in Jefferson Davis' Navy acknowledges the legacy of service of the officers and men of the Confederate States navy. In this full-length study, Barbara Brooks Tomblin addresses every aspect of a Confederate sailor's life, from the risks of combat to the everyday routines that sustained those sailing under the stars and bars. Through the use of diaries, letters, newspaper accounts, and published works, Tomblin offers a fresh look at the wartime experiences of those who served on gunboats, ironclads, and ships on western rivers and along the coast and in Mobile Bay, as well as those who sailed the high seas in the raiders Sumter, Alabama, Florida, and Shenandoah. The author also explores the daily lives, deprivations, and sufferings of the sailors who were captured and spent time in Union prisoner of war camps at Point Lookout, Elmira, Camp Chase, Johnson's Island, Ship Island, and Fort Delaware. Confederate prisoners' journals and letters give an intimate account of their struggle, helping modern audiences understand the ordeals of the defeated. Tomblin's narrative includes descriptions of the work of Confederate Navy surgeons and stewards who provided medical care for naval personnel suffering from a variety of illnesses such as malaria, dysentery, smallpox, and yellow fever, as well as injuries caused by accidents or during combat." -- From publisher's description. |
