LINCOLN'S SECRET WEAPON

A convincing, intelligent biography of Anna Ella Carroll, a remarkable woman born out of her time, yet startlingly effective in it. Born in 1815 to an established and wealthy southern family, she was given the unusual advantage of a complete academic education, while her feminine interests allowed her to absorb the best ladylike arts of her class. When financial crisis strikes, Anna abandons the plantation for another world. In Baltimore she becomes embroiled in the politics and intellectual thought of the day, writing, and practising law. When the Civil War breaks out, President Lincoln avails himself of Anna's talents and sympathy, sending her to St. Louis where she gathered the information for her strategic plan in the Tennessee Campaign, and where for the first time she found a man worthy of her love. Her role during this momentous era is seldom retold, thus Miss Wise's account, precise and well developed, is a welcome addition to biography collections.