When secessionist chaos turned to bloodshed in 1861, Mary A. Livermore (1820-1905), editor, lecturer, and abolitionist, left her family and volunteered for the U.S. Sanitary Commission, becoming one of a handful of women to achieve national prominence and a position of leadership within the Commission. Her efforts--from nursing wounded soldiers at the front to organizing the Sanitary Fairs that raised more than a million dollars for relief work--earned the respect of Grant, Sherman, and Lincoln. My Story of the War presents Livermore's remarkable war experiences, including personal...