A Confederate Girl's Diary

"A Confederate Girl's Diary" by Sarah Morgan Dawson is a story that shows what life was like during the Civil War through the eyes of a young woman living in Louisiana, as she deals with hardship and grief. Sarah Morgan’s story shares her own life and what other women in the South may have felt during this difficult time in history. At the start of her diary, young Sarah thinks about her life before the war, remembering happy times. As the war changes everything, she introduces her family, like her sister Miriam, and shows how close they all are. The story shows Sarah's first feelings of excitement and courage and how she slowly sees the terrible impact of the war. Through real stories and what she sees, the first part paints a sad picture of what people went through during the Civil War, focusing on the problems Southern women faced as they lost loved ones, homes, and the lives they knew.