There has been quite a buzz recently over the premier of a new book, the first one by author Robert Hicks, entitled "Widow Of The South", which tells the story-the true story, incidentally-of Corrie McGorock, and her role in the little known, but extremely important, Civil War battle of Franklin, which took place in Kentucky in November 1864. It was in fact this battle that may have played as decisive a role in finally bringing the war to a final conclusion as did the earlier fought and better known Battle of Gettysburg. It was a Pyrrhic victory for the North, in fact, and all told there were more casualtiers here than in the Battleof The Bulge, in fact possibly more than in anyother single American engagement. But it finally established, beyond all doubt, the security of Kentucky in Union hands, and thus pretty much wrote the final chapter of the long and bloody book. The only remaining episode of any real improtance, in fact, was the epiloque that occurred at Appamatox Court House.
Into this battle stepped the widow McGorock, who had lost three children and all told five family members to the war. Yet, the Battle of Franklin transpired pretty much in her own backyard. Her two story house sat rigth on one edge ofthe battlefield. Whatever the reason, she transformed her home into a hospital to treat the injured, the sick, and the dying, from both sides.
Hicks writes the book in the form of a novel, he explains, because the widow McGorock left no journals, no diaries, to concretize for posterity her motivations, her feelings, her day to day experiences and perspectives. As I thought abotu this, I realized that I migth in fact be able to suggest a motivation for him. She was quite frankly afraid that if she did nothing, her home would be taken over, vandalized, and possibly destroyed, while she could have conceivably been raped and murdered if thehouse fell into the wrong hands. Even ore likely, as long as her house sat in such a precarious position, there was always the possibility it could be the victim of stray bullets and cannonballs.
By transforming her house into a hospital for the wounded and dying, therefore, she was actually buying protection for both her property and her self. Perfectly understandable. Nor does it detract form the service she provided her countrymen, not inthe least, in fact, some years aftr the war was concluded, she took it a step farhter. She went out to the field which formed the periphery of the battlefield, and there managed to excavate the remains of some 1400 some soldiers. She saw to it they were provided a mass grave, with a respectable monument to mark the spot of their burial. So regardless of her motivations in the beginning, at least in the final analysis she had come to realize the gravity of the situation on a historical level, and probably on a spiritual one, and was moved thus to make this one final contribution to hisotry and posterity.
Her house still exists, incidentally, as well as the monument she was instrumental in erecting. It is an historica landmark, in fact, though it is in need of care, as it has seemingly been neglected over the years. A shame. I intend to read this book when it becomes availiable to me at my publicv libraray, and I would encourage everyobdy to read not necessarrily just this book, but eveyrhting they can on American history, both as pertains to the civil war and in other areas.
And I mean the real history, with all the warts, not the feel good bulshit that is politically motivated, and just as assurredly not the superpatriot drivel that is meant only to brainwash the gullible into believing they must support their government no matter the circumstances.
History has become a less and less important priority in public schools with the passage of time, and with the greater implementation of the global economy with all it's varied degrees of encroaching interdependance. American history, and in fact all history-true history- should be cherished and protected. This book sounds as though it will be an entertaining and engaging way to contribute to my own relatively respectable reservoir of historical knowledge, and I cant wait to read it.
