Mary Chesnut's A Diary from Dixie

Some comments relating to Spiritualism from Mary Boykin Chesnut's Civil War Diary:


"April 22nd [1862] - Follies of the wise! From Mrs. McCord today I heard that Dr. Trezevant believes with all his heart, with all his mind, and with all his soul in spirits! He listens with creduity to their tappings and credits every word a medium conveys to him from the spirits. So does Waddy Thompson, my father's friend."

"May 17th [1862] - Willie Taylor, before he left home for the army, fancied one day - day, remember, not night - that he saw Albert Rhett standing by his side. He recoiled from the ghost in horror. 'You need not do that, Willie: you will soon be as I am.' Willie rushed into the next room to tell them what had happened and fainted. It had a very depressing effect on him. The other day he died in Virginia."

Jim

It is quite true that the civil war had an impact upon the growth of Spiritualism Jim

I'll have to read further to see whether the May 17th incident had any effect on Mary's opinion dated April 22.