A Black Woman’s Civil War Memoirs

“These are the memoirs of a black woman who was born a slave, who had the good fortune to gain her freedom early in the war, with the education and ability to observe and the will to recall in later years the significance of the events in which she was a vigorous participant. Susie King Taylor’s recollections are invaluable for those who wish to understand the Civil War from the black woman’s point of view. … A treasure in the light of today’s feminist movement.” (from the Introduction by Willie Lee Rose)


Susie King Taylor (1848-1912) was the first African-American woman to publish a memoir of her wartime experiences.

Patricia Romero, editor (Towson State University) is author of Sylvia Pankhurst: Portrait of a Radical and Lamu: History, Society, and Family in an East African Port CityShe also edited A Black Woman’s Odyssey Through Russia and Jamaica and Women’s Voices on Africa (also available from Markus Wiener).

Willie Lee Rose, editor is the author of Slavery and Freedom.