Acclaimed Historian and author Joan E. Cashin brings a fresh perspective to the Civil War in her latest book, War Stuff: The Struggle for Human and Environmental Resources in the American Civil War. Drawing on her extensive knowledge of social, economic, and cultural history, she uncovers the often overlooked but critical struggles between armies and civilians over essential resources. This meticulously researched narrative not only illuminates the war’s impact on the home front but also offers a new understanding of why the Confederacy ultimately failed. A must-read for history enthusiasts, as the book provides fresh insights into the war’s lesser-known aspects, making it essential for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of this pivotal period. In addition, it has now been translated into Russian, so that it can reach an even wider audience.
Cashin earned her doctorate in American History from Harvard University and currently teaches at Ohio State University. Continue reading for an exclusive interview.
Can you share a bit about your background and career?
I have a doctorate in American History from Harvard University, and I teach at Ohio State University. My area of expertise is the period from the Revolution through Reconstruction. My books and essays focus on social, economic, and cultural history, especially on gender, race, material culture, and the environment.
Tell us about your new book, War Stuff: The Struggle for Human and Environmental Resources in the American Civil War.
Cambridge University Press published it in 2018, and it has won three prizes. The book concerns the struggle for resources between armies and white civilians during the War. Both armies assert the doctrine of “military necessity,” meaning that they have the right to take what they need from civilians, such as food, timber, and housing. The two armies behaved the same way throughout the war, seizing resources from civilians regardless of which side those civilians supported. So two struggles are going on, army versus army and the armies versus civilians. The loss of their resources both shocks and infuriates the noncombatant population. Eventually, civilians decide that the war is not worth it, and they withdraw their support. That is one important reason that the Confederacy lost the war.
I should add that the book has been translated into Russian and published by Academic Studies Press in 2023. It is the first book on the War to be translated into this language.
What inspired you to write this book?
As I was working on other projects, I noticed that armies often seized resources from civilians. Soldiers described it in their letters and reports, sometimes feeling guilty about it, other times exulting in the practice. Civilians also wrote about it in their letters, diaries, and memoirs, with an increasing sense of outrage. I thought to myself, there might be a book here.
What key messages do you hope readers will take away from your work?
-Civilians are deeply involved in the War. They are not just observers.
-Armies and civilians are engaged in an intense struggle over material resources necessary to wage war, such as food, timber, and housing.
-Both armies take what they need from civilians. Their conduct is identical out in the field. That finally destroys civilian support for the war effort.
Which authors have influenced and inspired you along the way?
My advisor David Herbert Donald from Harvard was a great influence and an inspiration. I admired his dedication, his productivity, and his skills as a writer.
What are you working on now, and what can we look forward to seeing from you next?
I am working on a book on the Shelby and Hart families of Kentucky, covering the Revolution through Reconstruction. They left behind many manuscripts and material artifacts, and they are at the forefront of historical change in that era.
Where can readers find out more about you and your work?
All of my books can be found on Amazon, and the Russian translation can be ordered on the Academic Studies Press website.
Tell us a bit about why you chose to translate the book into Russian.
The publisher of the translation, Academic Studies Press, actually made that decision. War Stuff was published by Cambridge University Press in 2018. The book got a rave review in a European journal in 2021, and the ASP director thought it would be a good candidate for a translation. They are seeking books that can appeal to a general audience outside of English-language readers, and they want to promote cross-cultural understanding. So they contacted me and asked if they could translate it and republish it. I said yes.
How do you feel the story you’re telling resonates with that country’s history?
The Russian people have experienced some of the most hard-fought wars in the modern era. During the Napoleonic War and World War II, armies and civilians engaged in the kind of intense struggle for resources—food, timber, and housing--that I discuss in War Stuff. Russian readers should find the story both dramatic and compelling.
For more information on Joan E. Cashin please visit: https://u.osu.edu/joanecashin/.
