A Maine Town Responds: Cape Elizabeth & South Portland In The Civil War

A Maine Town Responds: Cape Elizabeth and South Portland in the Civil War

At the time of the American Civil War the town of “Cape Elizabeth” included the entire area of present day South Portland and Cape Elizabeth. It was populated primarily by farmers and folks who made their living by the sea. Utilizing municipal records, local newspapers, census records and military documents, the author examines how the Civil War changed their lives forever.

How much support was there for President Lincoln and the abolishment of slavery?   Who served in the Union armies, when did they serve, and how did some make sure they didn’t have to?  What was the cost to the town?  How did public opinion reflect the changing war news?  How was the town able to bear the human and financial costs of the war?  

This in depth study of the town is a model for how quantitative analysis of census data can help reveal patterns and trends that may not be readily noticeable without such analysis. The chapter Background to Crisis discusses the historical context, and structural flaws in American society, that led to war.  

First published in 2003,  A Maine Town Responds has remained a classic for those interested in the Civil War and local Maine history. An insert map of Cape Elizabeth at the time of the Civil War is included - along with a list of the men who mustered from the town

6x9 paperback format, 270 pages, over 80 tables and images, insert map