A vivid rendering of the experience of the inhabitants of Harpers
Ferry, after abolitionist John Brown's 1859 raid on the US armory
and gun factory there hastened the coming of the Civil Way.
Prolific Civil War writer Hearn (The Capture of New Orleans, 1862,
1995, etc.) has set out to explore how the residents of Harpers
Ferry, a small, thriving industrial town nestled in a beautiful
scenic area, coped with six years of life spent on or near the
front lines. Their story begins in 1859, when Colonel Robert E.
Lee, of the United States Army, and First Lieutenant J.E.B. Stuart,
with 90 US Marines and some Virginia militia, restored order after
the bloodletting brought on by Brown, who was summarily tried and
hanged. When war came, Confederate general Joseph E. Johnston,
aided by Colonel Thomas Jackson (not yet known as "Stonewall")
destroyed the town's factories, bridges, and railroad tracks. The
town changed hands repeatedly during the war. Battles large and
small were fought nearby. Armies poured through its streets. And
even when they moved elsewhere, the townspeople were harassed by
Southern mounted guerrillas led by Confederate officers Mosby and
Mobley, who stole food, horses, and other property while destroying
bridges and rail facilities. Friendly Union occupation troops who
kept order and prevented further looting swayed many civilians to
support the northern cause. As a result, West Virginia was carved
out of secessionist Virginia and voted into the Union. Hearn's
lively narrative recreates this extraordinary experience from
letters and memoirs, providing a powerful reminder that war is hell
for civilians as well as soldiers. (Kirkus Reviews)
Most written accounts of Harpers Ferry, Virginia, during the Civil
War era begin and end with John Brown's raid in 1859 and his
subsequent hanging. In Six Years of Hell, Chester G. Hearn recounts
in colorful style the harrowing story of Harpers Ferry's tumultuous
war years -- during which it changed hands more often than any town
but Winchester, Virginia, and was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt.
Relying heavily on records left by the citizens who weathered the
war and the soldiers who garrisoned the town, Hearn treats the
civilian experience as fully as he does military activities. He
introduces the people who attempted to stay in their homes, protect
their possessions, and accommodate the soldiers during the
conflict. As Hearn clearly demonstrates, for those stouthearted
individuals, the Civil War was truly six years of hell.
General
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