Great Necessities: The Life ... Book

One Woman Who Helped Changed the Course of the Civil War A New Book on Anna Ella Carroll, a National Heroine from Maryland "...Miss Anna Ella Carroll is the head of the Carroll race, and when the history of this war is written, she will stand a good bit taller than ever old Charles did." -- Pres. Abraham Lincoln, as quoted by Rep. William Mitchell (R-Ind.), 13 May 1862 New York, NY (Release Date: June 23, 2004) ? Hundreds of biographies have been written about the men and women of the Civil War, yet none has fully presented the life and crucial contributions of Anna Ella Carroll, Pres. Abraham Lincoln's political adviser. In her new book, Great Necessities: The Life, Times, and Writings of Anna Ella Carroll, 1815-1894, C. Kay Larson provides a penetrating account of this Southern lady who broke all the rules for women of the era. Anna Ella Carroll was the daughter of Maryland Gov. Thomas King Carroll. Under his tutelage, she honed her exceptional skills in political and legal analysis. During the 1850s, Carroll became a nationally-known publicist for prominent Whig and American (Know-Nothing) party candidates. When the secession crisis roiled the country in 1861, Carroll provided invaluable assistance to Gov. Thomas H. Hicks in keeping their state loyal. She also wrote able political/legal tracts for the Lincoln administration that helped maintain support for the war effort which were widely circulated in Washington and Maryland. In Great Necessities, new evidence also is presented that clarifies Carroll's, President Lincoln's, and Secty. of War Edwin M. Stanton's roles in the Tennessee River campaign. In this strategic advance, Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Flag Officer Andrew Hull Foote led combined army-naval forces which captured Confederate Forts Henry and Donelson. These constituted the "first real" victories for the Union during the Civil War. Other fresh material on American political history and the colonization of freedmen, among other topics, also is included in the book. Great Necessities brings to the fore the spirited life and works of Anna Ella Carroll, arguably, the most important woman involved in American politics in the nineteenth century. This book will greatly enhance Carroll's stature as a heroine of the state of Maryland, and the nation.Read More