Chapter Summary: The Lee Marriage

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Reviews of the authors’ endnotes indicate that the authors used a majority of primary sources, mostly letters sent between husband and wife. I would estimate about seventy-five percent of the sources are primary, while twenty-five percent are secondary. Most of the primary sources come from letters between the generals and their wives. Dr. Lesley Gordon earned her B.A. from the College of William and Mary, and her M.A and Ph.D. from the University of Georgia. She is now a professor of history at the University of Akron, and teaches courses in the American Civil War and Reconstruction, War and Society, the Early Republic, and the U.S Survey to 1877. She is also editor of the scholarly journal Civil War History. Dr. Carol Bleser is a 1960 B.A. …show more content…
The authors’ purpose in this chapter is to argue that unlike popular belief, Varina was very helpful and encouraging to her husband and his occupation. One key piece of evidence the authors use to support their case is a quote from Dr. John Burgess of Columbia University who testified that Varina could run Davis’ business alone and efficiently.
Chapter two is entitled, “The Lee Marriage.” The main subject of this chapter is over Mary and Robert’s marriage. The authors’ purpose in this chapter is to reveal the difficult situations in their marriage. One key piece of evidence that the authors use to support their case is a diary entry where Lee logged his wife’s poor health for several months.
Chapter three is entitled, “A Sweet Solace to My Lonely Heart.” The main subject of this chapter is over Mary “Anne” and “Stonewall” Jackson’s marriage, and how his career in the military affected them. The authors’ purpose in this chapter is to bring to light Anne’s obsession over her husband’s war image. One key piece of evidence the authors use to support their case is a letter from Stonewall to his wife, telling her not to write anything about him or his