An East Texas Family's Civil War: The Letters of Nancy and William Whatley, May–December 1862 ed. by John T. Whatley (review)

For many years, historians of the Civil War tended to focus on leaders, battles, and diplomacy. Over the past thirty years, emphasis has shifted to the home front, the role of women, and wartime slavery, among other topics. An East Texas Family's Civil War is an excellent depiction of the Texas home front in microcosm. This book is an edited collection of letters between William Whatley, a Rusk County farmer and soldier in the Seventeenth Texas Cavalry, and his wife, Nancy, over a span of seven months in 1862. The letters have been edited for publication by John T. Whatley, William and Nancy's great-grandson.

A salient feature of the Whatley letters is the difficulty Nancy encountered in running the farm, managing thirteen slaves, and raising their four children by herself. Although William had arranged for their neighbor, a Mr. Martin, to help his wife with the farming and the slaves, he proved to be inadequate to the task, spending much of his time evading conscription and being surly to Nancy. Most of her letters contain requests for advice on such topics as when to plant, what to plant, and how to manage the livestock. Nancy also had to deal with a crushing sense of isolation. Because her farm was in a rural area of Rusk County and her responsibilities kept her busy, she was seldom able to interact with other women of her social class. Occasionally she happily describes revival meetings and visits from her brothers, sisters, and father.

The Whatley letters are also valuable for providing information about the institution of slavery. As the war progressed and it became clear that William would not return home soon, the Whatleys' long-held assumptions about their slaves were challenged. William apparently expected his slaves to be docile, obedient, and content; instead, in his absence, they quickly began to assert their own individuality. Nancy's letters to William were often filled with complaints about their intransigence. She singled out a particular man, Marshall, for talking back to Mr. Martin. As it became clear that the slaves had their own thoughts and did not consider themselves members of the Whatley family, William advised Nancy to sell or hire them out and move closer to her father. Because an influx of slaves brought to Texas from Arkansas and Louisiana by owners threatened by Federal armies had depressed slave prices, Nancy was unable to do either.

In collecting and publishing the letters of his great-grandparents, John T. Whatley has performed a significant service for historians and students of Texas history. An East Texas Family's Civil War is important for shedding light on the motivation of Confederate soldiers, life for women on the home front, and the institution of slavery in its death throes. This book should be consulted by historians for years to come.