General Sherman and the Georgia Belles

Book excerpt: The courage and sacrifices of the Southern women who stood in the way of Sherman’s March to the Sea from Atlanta to Savannah during the Civil War. When General Sherman led 60,000 soldiers on a sixty-mile-wide path of destruction through Georgia, the purpose was to frighten civilians into abandoning the Confederate cause. Most Georgia women were left to face the enemy alone—their men were off fighting or hiding for fear of being killed or taken as prisoners of war. But these steel magnolias were well-prepared to protect all that was rightfully theirs . . . Cathy Kaemmerlen, a renowned storyteller and historical interpreter, provides a colorful collection of tales of exceptional Georgia women who made great sacrifices in an effort to save their families and homes. From the innocent diary of a 10-year-old girl to the words of a woman who risks everything to see her husband one last time, Kaemmerlen exposes the grit and gumption of these remarkable Southern women in inspiring and entertaining fashion.