Southerners whose communities were invaded by the Union army during the
Civil War endured a profoundly painful ordeal. For most, the coming of
the Yankees was a nightmare become real; for some, it was the answer to
a prayer. But as Stephen Ash argues, for all, invasion and occupation
were essential parts of the experience of defeat that helped shape the
southern postwar mentality.
When the Yankees Came is the first comprehensive study of the occupied
South, bringing to light a wealth of new information about the southern
home front. Among the intriguing topics Ash explores are guerrilla
warfare and other forms of civilian resistance; the evolution of Union
occupation policy from leniency to repression; the impact of occupation
on families, churches, and local government; and conflicts between
southern aristocrats and poor whites. In analyzing these topics, Ash
examines events from the perspective not only of southerners but also of
the northern invaders, and he shows how the experiences of southerners
differed according to their distance from a garrisoned town.