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Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All

Joseph Conrad

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Published in Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All: A Novel (Vintage Contemporaries)

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Sarah Caroline Rives was born in 1838 in Albemarle County, Virginia. She was the daughter of a wealthy planter and slave owner. In 1856, she married Robert S. Rives, a lawyer and Confederate soldier. The couple had three children. During the Civil War, Sarah Rives lived in Richmond, Virginia, where she worked as a volunteer nurse in Confederate hospitals. Her husband fought in the Army of Northern Virginia and was wounded several times. After the war, the Rives family moved to Missouri, where Sarah Rives lived until her death in 1941. She was the last surviving widow of a Confederate soldier.

In her later years, Sarah Rives was interviewed by historians and journalists. She spoke about her experiences during the Civil War and the Reconstruction era. Her accounts provide a unique and valuable perspective on this important period in American history. Rives was a strong supporter of the Confederacy and believed that the South had been right to fight for its independence. She also spoke about the hardships that Confederate soldiers and their families endured during the war. She described the hunger, disease, and poverty that were rampant in the South during the war years. She also spoke about the challenges that Confederate soldiers faced after the war. Many of them were unable to find work or support their families. Rives herself struggled to make ends meet after the war. She worked as a seamstress and a teacher. She also received a small pension from the Confederate government.

Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All: A Novel (Vintage Contemporaries)

by Allan Gurganus

4.2 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2854 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	813 pages

Sarah Rives's story is a reminder of the human cost of the Civil War. She was a witness to the suffering and sacrifice that both sides endured. Her story is a valuable contribution to our understanding of this complex period in American history.

Legacy

Sarah Rives's legacy is complex and controversial. She was a strong supporter of the Confederacy and believed that the South had been right to fight for its independence. However, she also spoke out against the racism and slavery that were prevalent in the South before the war. She was a complex and contradictory figure who lived through a tumultuous period in American history. Her story is a reminder of the human cost of war and the challenges that people faced during the Reconstruction era.

The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All

Sarah Rives's story is told in her book, The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All. The book was published in 1939 and was a bestseller. It was praised by critics for its honesty and its insights into the Civil War and its aftermath. The book is still in print today and is considered a valuable resource for historians and Civil War enthusiasts.

Sarah Caroline Rives was a remarkable woman who lived through a tumultuous period in American history. Her story is a reminder of the human cost of war and the challenges that people faced during the Reconstruction era. Her book, The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All, is a valuable contribution to our understanding of this important period in American history.

Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All: A Novel (Vintage Contemporaries)

by Allan Gurganus

4.2 out of 5