Book Review by Kathy Ridge, Andrew County Genealogist:

A State Divided: Civil War Letters of James C. Hale and Benjamin Petree of Andrew County, Missouri is more than a book about a family – it is more than just another book about the Civil War. Being an historian and a genealogist from Andrew County, Missouri, I was totally enthralled by Tonya’s book. I have read many volumes and primary sources about and from the Civil War. I have been researching various aspects of that time period for several years. I was somewhat familiar with her family. so needless to say, I was excited when I read her manuscript.

The story of how Tonya acquired the letters and other family artifacts is amazing in and of itself. But what she has done with it – transcribing the letters and placing them in the context of this tragic era – is truly commendable. Tonya thoroughly researched the Civil War, not just in our little corner of Missouri but also elsewhere throughout this state and others. She was able to sort out the events that led up to the conflict, and she clearly describes the people, places and happenings. It was a most confusing period. She took it on and is up to the task.

Although her ancestors here were on the Union side, Tonya took great care in giving the reader a balanced picture. Many books that I have read have a definite slant. These incredible letters give insight into the day by day life of the soldier. They are full of accounts of camp life – boredom, problems, diet, accommodations, mail, routine, hospital care – as well as full of information about the home front.

This book is entertaining and interesting. It is educational. It is illuminating. Even though I have read so much “Civil War non-fiction,” I was surprised at how much I learned. She told of the prices and how they fluctuated between wartime and peacetime; the frequency of letters and infrequency of pay; backgrounds of historical figures; nursing and hospital conditions; opinions and prejudices of soldiers; travel and transportation; weather; clothing allotments; food; and even a journey along the California Trail.

A State Divided: Civil War Letters of James C. Hale and Benjamin Petree of Andrew County, Missouri is a delightful journey into the mid-1800s and the Hale/Petree family. It is a history of the times. It is a history of a family. It is easy to read and easy to understand – one of the top books in its genre.

Kathy Ridge, Lead Genealogist
Andrew County Museum