Due to the recent interest in this book that while fiction, is of interest to those of us who love Ripley County, I am forwarding this book review by Ray Burson with his permisison. --------- Forwarded message ---------- February 23, 2002 Ron Charles, Book Review Editor Christian Science Monitor Dear Editor: Paulette Jiles' Civil War novel, "Enemy Women" (CSM 2/21/02) is certainly good fiction. The narrative holds the reader's attention and the imagery shows the author's poetic skills. However, your review is off the mark when you describe her as "a remarkably effective historian." One should be wary of the Missouri Civil War history that Ms. Jiles promulgates, especially in the novel's prologue. At the outset of the Civil War, Doniphan, MO, population 99, was a crude hamlet of 18 houses around a wooden courthouse. The county's citizens, though largely pro-South, did not all flock to the southern cause. Many fled and others tried to remain neutral. Ripley County was a no-man's land throughot the war as both sides committed depredations while trying to exercise control. The author's description of a massacre of 60 civilians at a farm southwest of Doniphan on Christmas Day, 1863, is fiction, not fact. In the skirmish Union forces killed some 35 Confederates, captured over 100 and freed some 100 Union prisoners. There were no casualties on the Federal side. There are no eyewitness or other contemporary written reports that document the killing of civilians. The allegation of a "massacre" was made only recently by a local historian trying to convert family legend into historical fact. Ms. Jiles does make effective use of excerpts from historical documents, even though many don't refer to southeast Missouri. One should read this book for its romance and its drama while remembering that its rendition of history provides more flavor than fact. Sincerely yours, Ray Burson Ripley County Historical Society 101 Washington St. Doniphan, MO 63935 (tel. 573-996-2827 or 996-4384)

I have been told that it is possible, this book is going to be made into a movie. Does historians know if there were actually women and children held in prisons in the St. Louis area, during the Civil War, as the book mentions? This book has made me want to know more about what happened, for real, in and around Ripley Co. Are there any non-fiction books written about this area during the Civil War? B Smith Subject: [MORIPLEY] [ADMIN] Review of Enemy Women Due to the recent interest in this book that while fiction, is of interest to those of us who love Ripley County, I am forwarding this book review by Ray Burson with his permisison.

I think the Ripley County Historical Society put out a special edition re the Civil War a few years ago. You might check with them. I believe it was in conjunction with a major re-enactment camp that took place there several years ago. The book is very good. I hope you can get ahold of one. Yes, there really was a prison in St. Louis that housed women and children. Gratiot Street prison. See this link for a little more information: http://www.civilwarstlouis.com/Gratiot/gratiotfaq.htm I also think it's great that we're learning about oral family histories on this link. . . I"m thinking specifically about the one from a few days ago regarding a family helping slaves pass into safety in Ripley County. And I'm only an in-law of Ripley County people. :) Cindy Winkler [email protected] ----- Original Message ----- From: R/B Smith <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, July 13, 2002 9:34 PM Subject: Re: [MORIPLEY] [ADMIN] Review of Enemy Women > > > I have been told that it is possible, this book is going to be made into a movie. > > Does historians know if there were actually women and children held in prisons in the St. Louis area, during the Civil War, as the book mentions? > > This book has made me want to know more about what happened, for real, in and around Ripley Co. Are there any non-fiction books written about this area during the Civil War? > > B Smith > > > Subject: [MORIPLEY] [ADMIN] Review of Enemy Women > > > Due to the recent interest in this book that while fiction, is of > interest to those of us who love Ripley County, I am forwarding this book > review by Ray Burson with his permisison. > > > > > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 >

Thanks for forwarding this, Shirley. There are very few writers of historical fiction who are entirely accurate. How can they be? We weren't there. But in my opinion, folks know when they pick up a novel that it is, in fact, a work of fiction. Mr. Burson obviously knows his history, and I don't dispute anything he says in his review, because I don't know otherwise. However, at the time of the Civil War, Ripley County accounted for a substantial part of Missouri's population and Doniphan was (is) the county seat. So it can't be dismissed as inconsequential because of its sparse population. Paulette Jiles did her job, I think, in making us aware of some of the county's history that perhaps we would not have considered otherwise. As has Mr. Burson. This is the best email loop I belong to. Keep it coming, folks. :) Cindy Winkler [email protected] ----- Original Message ----- From: Shirley A Scott <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, July 13, 2002 7:58 PM Subject: [MORIPLEY] [ADMIN] Review of Enemy Women > Due to the recent interest in this book that while fiction, is of > interest to those of us who love Ripley County, I am forwarding this book > review by Ray Burson with his permisison. > > --------- Forwarded message ---------- > February 23, 2002 > Ron Charles, Book Review Editor > Christian Science Monitor > > Dear Editor: > > Paulette Jiles' Civil War novel, "Enemy Women" (CSM 2/21/02) is > certainly good fiction. The narrative holds the reader's attention and > the > imagery shows the author's poetic skills. However, your review is off > the mark > when you describe her as "a remarkably effective historian." > > One should be wary of the Missouri Civil War history that Ms. Jiles > promulgates, especially in the novel's prologue. At the outset of the > Civil War, Doniphan, MO, population 99, was a crude hamlet of 18 houses > around a wooden courthouse. The county's citizens, though largely > pro-South, did not all flock to the southern cause. Many fled and > others tried to remain neutral. Ripley County was a no-man's land > throughot the > war as both sides committed depredations while trying to exercise > control. > > The author's description of a massacre of 60 civilians at a farm > southwest of Doniphan on Christmas Day, 1863, is fiction, not fact. In > the > skirmish Union forces killed some 35 Confederates, captured over 100 and > freed some 100 Union prisoners. There were no casualties on the Federal > side. > There are no eyewitness or other contemporary written reports that > document > the killing of civilians. The allegation of a "massacre" was made only > recently by a local historian trying to convert family legend into > historical fact. > > Ms. Jiles does make effective use of excerpts from historical documents, > even though many don't refer to southeast Missouri. One should read > this book for its romance and its drama while remembering that its > rendition > of history provides more flavor than fact. > > Sincerely yours, > Ray Burson > Ripley County Historical Society > 101 Washington St. > Doniphan, MO 63935 > (tel. 573-996-2827 or 996-4384) > > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 >

The Doniphan Massacre is a controversial subject. I don't want to offend anyone on the list but Mr. Burson and another man who is, I think, a Mr. Ponder, have been submitting articles to the Daily American Republic which is the newspaper published in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. These two men strongly disagree on whether or not the massacre really happened. Since I'm neither a Civil War buff nor have family ties to Doniphan I failed to keep the articles. I wish I had kept them now since it's a topic of discussion on the list. Anyone who is really interested could search the Daily American Republic's archives and find the articles. If I remember correctly, they have been published quite recently. Terry >Mr. Burson obviously knows his history, and I don't dispute anything he says in his review, >because I don't know otherwise. Paulette Jiles did her job, I think, in making us aware of some >of the county's history that perhaps we would not have considered otherwise. As has Mr. >Burson. > > review by Ray Burson with his permisison. > > The author's description of a massacre of 60 civilians at a farm > > southwest of Doniphan on Christmas Day, 1863, is fiction, not fact.

Could we have a list of the families that lived in the 18 houses, or a listing of the 99 residence at the time of the civil war? Debra ----- Original Message ----- From: "Shirley A Scott" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, July 13, 2002 7:58 PM Subject: [MORIPLEY] [ADMIN] Review of Enemy Women > Due to the recent interest in this book that while fiction, is of > interest to those of us who love Ripley County, I am forwarding this book > review by Ray Burson with his permisison. > > --------- Forwarded message ---------- > February 23, 2002 > Ron Charles, Book Review Editor > Christian Science Monitor > > Dear Editor: > > Paulette Jiles' Civil War novel, "Enemy Women" (CSM 2/21/02) is > certainly good fiction. The narrative holds the reader's attention and > the > imagery shows the author's poetic skills. However, your review is off > the mark > when you describe her as "a remarkably effective historian." > > One should be wary of the Missouri Civil War history that Ms. Jiles > promulgates, especially in the novel's prologue. At the outset of the > Civil War, Doniphan, MO, population 99, was a crude hamlet of 18 houses > around a wooden courthouse. The county's citizens, though largely > pro-South, did not all flock to the southern cause. Many fled and > others tried to remain neutral. Ripley County was a no-man's land > throughot the > war as both sides committed depredations while trying to exercise > control. > > The author's description of a massacre of 60 civilians at a farm > southwest of Doniphan on Christmas Day, 1863, is fiction, not fact. In > the > skirmish Union forces killed some 35 Confederates, captured over 100 and > freed some 100 Union prisoners. There were no casualties on the Federal > side. > There are no eyewitness or other contemporary written reports that > document > the killing of civilians. The allegation of a "massacre" was made only > recently by a local historian trying to convert family legend into > historical fact. > > Ms. Jiles does make effective use of excerpts from historical documents, > even though many don't refer to southeast Missouri. One should read > this book for its romance and its drama while remembering that its > rendition > of history provides more flavor than fact. > > Sincerely yours, > Ray Burson > Ripley County Historical Society > 101 Washington St. > Doniphan, MO 63935 > (tel. 573-996-2827 or 996-4384) > > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 >

The 1860 Census for Ripley County has the following as heads of household in Doniphan: Lemuel Kittrell George Lee Waugh Aden Lowe J. N. Hedgpeth J. P. Fisher J. M. Stephens Anthony Kittrell (Bl) D. A. Lee J. H. Dudley W. P Kreps William Leathers Richard Brooks J. W. Souther S. A. Tucker William L. Russell E. H. Glover Samuel Lee Nancy Beasley -----Original Message----- From: Debra Strasbaugh [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, July 14, 2002 11:56 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [MORIPLEY] [ADMIN] Review of Enemy Women Could we have a list of the families that lived in the 18 houses, or a listing of the 99 residence at the time of the civil war? Debra