By Marissa Wells
Contributing Writer
During the American Civil War, while armies clashed on the battlefield, another conflict unfolded between soldiers and civilians.
Both sides relied on vital resources — like timber, food, and shelter — and didn’t hesitate to take what they needed from local populations. Over time, white Southern civilians began to see the war as a losing battle and withdrew their support, which played a key role in the Confederacy’s ultimate defeat.
So goes, “War Stuff: The Struggle for Human and Environmental Resources in the American Civil War” by Joan E. Cashin.
The book was inspired by Cashin’s work as a historian.
“When I was working on other projects, I kept coming across references to these struggles,” Cashin said. “Civilians wrote about it in their letters and diaries, and so do soldiers. Eventually, I decided that there was a book there to be written.”
It was important for Cashin to write a book that reflected the complexities of American history.
“I love the subject matter of American history, and I wanted to make a contribution to our knowledge of the war era,” she added.
The book is filled with chapters that address the old South, ways in which civilians interacted with the two armies, sustenance, the year 1865, the early post war period and more.
“War Stuff” is intended for those interested in military history, social history, the history of the environment and the history of material culture.
Cashin has authored a half of dozen books and it is her hope that readers recognize that civilians are inevitably impacted by war.
“They are drawn into the conflict, whether they want to be or not,” said Cashin. “They are not mere spectators.”
Cashin’s favorite part of her book is the chapter that highlights timber.
“I’ve always been interested in environmental history and I was astonished by the amount of deforestation that took place during the war,” said the author.
“War Stuff” has been translated into Russian and it’s the first book on the war to be translated into that language.
In addition to being an author, Cashin is a professor of history at Ohio State University. She is based in Columbus, Ohio.
For more information about the author and her work, visit X @ JoanECashin or u.osu.edu/joanecashin/.
“War Stuff: The Struggle for Human and Environmental Resources in the American Civil War” is available on Amazon, Cambridge University Press, and Academic Studies Press.
