The story of the Civil War is incomplete without examining the extraordinary and influential lives of four women who influenced their husbandsJesse Fremont, Nelly McClellan, Ellen Sherman, and Julia Grant. They were their husband's closest confidantes and had a profound impact on their ambitions and actions. And, these women's attitudes toward and relationship with Lincoln had major historical significance. Relying on a close reading of letters, memoirs, and other primary sourcesand for the first time, mapping the women's wartime travels the author explores the very different ways in which these women responded to the unique challenge of being Lincoln's generals' wives.

Candice Shy Hooper's writing has been published in The Journal of Military History and The New York Times. She received her M.A. in history from The George Washington University and is a member of the Board of Advisors of President Lincoln's Cottage in Washing- ton, D.C., and of the advisory board of the Ulysses S. and Julia D. Grant Historical Home in Detroit, Michigan.