Civil War crises have modern day similarities

Former Fredericksburg historian says new book on Civil War Petersburg has modern tie

Date published: 2/22/2007

By Rob Hedelt

AFTER SIX years of focusing on the Civil War experience of Petersburg and its people, historian A. Wilson Greene says one thing stood out.

Namely, how similarly citizens reacted to crises there in the 1860s with the way we react to crises today.

With the Civil War in one way or another causing inflation, shortages, poverty, hunger, the loss of able-bodied men and growing fears of terrorism from without, the government there raised taxes to provide for those in need.

The wealthy in town formed charitable organizations to help, and concerts were held in the city's 700-seat theater, with proceeds "of that day's Farm-Aid" going to the city's needy and to soldiers in the field.

To deal with disloyalty, sabotage and fears of northern agitators spreading dissent, leaders formed committees authorized to spy on neighbors, and to lock up those with suspect loyalties.

"We have that debate going on right now, with al-Qaida--the line between homeland security and freedoms," he said. "It's been a moving target in American history each time this comes up."

Greene, executive director of Pamplin Historical Park and the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier in Dinwiddie, recently published "Civil War Petersburg: Confederate City In the Crucible of War" through University of Virginia Press.

While the former historian at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park has studied and written about different Civil War military campaigns, this latest book also examines the social, economic and political history of the Southern city--in short, what it was like to live in Petersburg then.

Greene said many readers will be surprised to learn that at the time of the war, Petersburg was a major Southern city.

"It may be a relatively small city today, partly as a result of the war, but then it was the seventh largest city in the Confederacy," he said, in the company of New Orleans, Charleston, Memphis and Savannah.

A second fact that may surprise readers: Petersburg had one of the largest concentrations of African-Americans, both free and slave. That was due largely to the many industries thriving there, and the transportation system that boasted five railroads.

Greene paints a different picture once the war played havoc with economy.

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Date published: 2/22/2007