Great Necessities: The Life, Times and Writings of Anna Ella Carroll, 1815-1894

Rating:
Summary: A Must Read for Lincoln and Grant students
Review: C. Kay Larson has a lot of contextual material in this book, ranging from the first English translation of the Bible; to the history of Presbyterianism and its relation to the Know-Nothing movement; to Baltimore labor strikes; to the politics of the Mexican War, the 1860 election, postwar Maryland, and Reconstruction.

But for Civil War and Lincoln buffs go right to the Secession and Tennessee River campaign chapters. In these are apparently new facts on Confederate plans to stage a coup of Washington DC in April 1861 and Lincoln's appointment of Stanton (see James Wheeler's analysis above) to carry out the Tennessee R. campaign.

Carroll, herself, directly contributes with 3 newly discovered "Hancock" columns on Seward's, Bell's, Bates's and Botts's candidacies in the 1860 presidential election. Reprinted here also are her 4 most important pamphlets that Carroll wrote for the Lincoln administration on the war powers of the presidency and the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus.

This book may upend much thinking on the war as it seemingly takes us to new places. It just doesn't resift the same facts and myths. The extensive reprinting of primary sources solidifies arguments and makes for great reading of eloquent spokepersons.

Patricia Armstrong


Rating:
Summary: Underrated Civil War woman
Review: C. Kay Larson is one of the pioneering scholars on the issue of women who served as soldiers and in other capacities during the American Civil War. In this scholarly and thorough treatise, she does justice to a remarkable Maryland woman who played a prominent role in state and national government in the 19th Century, including the Civil War period. This is a meaty biography of an underrated, intellectual, and highly influential woman who interacted with Senators and Presidents.