Wealthy Confederate women, who took on new responsibilities as their husbands served as soldiers or in politics, felt acutely the mounting costs of the war. Although they did not protest publicly, many Confederate women came to question the war effort. Ella Gertrude Clanton Thomas, a college-educated elite woman from Augusta, Georgia, recorded her evolving thoughts on the war in her diary.

November 17, 1864: . . . This is a dark hour in our country’s history. Lincoln has been elected by 300,000 majority and Northern papers say that Sherman is preparing for a winter campaign through the cotton states with five corps, leaving a sufficient force to hold Chattanooga and look after Hood. Sherman some years ago was stationed at the arsenal 1 at the Sand Hills and has been the recipient of hospitality from numerous citizens of this place. President Davis in his message says that we are better off than we were this time last year, but when President Davis advocates the training of Negroes to aid us in fighting—promising them, as an inducement to do so, their freedom, and in the same message intimates that rather than yield we would place every Negro in the Army—he so clearly betrays the weakness of our force that I candidly confess I am disheartened. I take a woman’s view of the subject but it does seem strangely inconsistent, the idea of our offering to a Negro the rich boon—the priceless reward of freedom to aid us in keeping in bondage a large portion of his brethren, when by joining the Yankees he will instantly gain the very reward which Mr Davis offers to him after a certain amount of labor rendered and danger incurred. Mr Davis to the contrary, the Negro has had a great deal to do with this war and if—but I fear I grow toryish in my sentiments—

Monday, November 21, 1864: Oh God will this war never cease? Will we ever settle quietly in our old peaceful domestic relations? How strange it all seems. Even now I can scarcely realize the state of suspense in which we have all been placed during the past few days. I don’t believe I have felt so gloomy at anytime tho as I did Saturday afternoon. During the morning I rode out (Friday), and just as I was leaving the house I received a letter from Mr Thomas written the Sunday previous—Said he “Ah you can form no idea how much I miss you—good bye to you and all my little ones.” . . .

Short as the time has been since Thursday, I can scarcely collect the link of events sufficiently to tell how the time has been spent. Oh I remember now that Mr Scales spent Friday night with us. He was taking a gloomy view of our prospects, but he talked just this way I remember one year ago. Then I confess I felt more determined “to do and dare and die” than I do now. Saturday we were busy hauling wood from the depot, Mr Selkirk the agent having been good enough to let me have two car loads brought up. It was fortunate I received it when I did as the trains are occupied now in removing government stores to the exclusion of everything else. It was, as yesterday and today have been, dull gloomy days. The whole heavens overcast with clouds—All nature appearing to mourn over the wretched degeneracy of her children and weeping to see brothers arrayed in hatred against each other. “Man, the noblest work of God.” Verily, when I witness and read of the track of desolation which Sherman’s army leaves behind them, I am constrained to think that the work reflects little credit upon the creator. I know that sounds irreverent but I sigh for the memory of those days when man’s noblest, better nature was displayed, when the brute “the cloven foot,” was concealed and I could dream and believe that ours was the very best land—ruled by the very best men under the sun!! . . .

Source: Ella Gertrude Clanton Thomas, Secret Eye: The Journal of Ella Gertrude Clanton Thomas, 1848–1889 (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1990).