ABOUT THE BOOK

In Civil War Columbia, South Carolina, no women were more gossiped about than Amelia Feaster and her teenage daughter, Marie Boozer. The Philadelphia-born Feaster, a widow three times before her thirty-first birthday, aided the Union war effort from her home, while Marie became infamous for her beauty and vanity. For over a century, scandalous tales of these women have been published across the nation, linking them to rich and powerful men both at home and abroad. Historian Tom Elmore sorts through the many myths and legends--involving such things as adultery, decapitation and the Russian tsar's jewels--about Feaster and Boozer to present the first fact-based biography of these two nineteenth-century tabloid queens.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tom Elmore, grew up in Columbia hearing tales and legends about General William T. Sherman's visit to the city. He has devoted over a decade to researching Columbia's role in the Civil War and has shared his knowledge in bus tours, magazine articles and lectures. Tom holds a BA in history and political science from the University of South Carolina. He is a book reviewer for Blue & Gray Magazine and is on the Board of Directors of the Greater Columbia Civil War Alliance. He is the author of "Columbia Civil War Landmarks," published by The History Press, and "A Carnival of Destruction--Sherman's Invasion of South Carolina," as well as numerous articles in regional and national publications.