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Anyone who's interested in Civil War history, reading or simply Middle Tennessee heritage will find something entertaining in L. Virginia French's War Journal, published by Jerry Smith of the Blockade Runner sutlery in Wartrace.

It won't take long to get through this page-turner, which takes the reader through an exciting and detailed account of civilian life in McMinnville from 1862-65 through the eyes of L. Virginia French, a prominent poet / writer / editor of the era.

French's candid account of the time period, which was never intended to be read by anyone other than herself, has been called one of the best Civil War journals to come to light in this century or the last by many prominent historians, said Smith.

"What sets this journal apart is both the insight the writer brings and the skill with which the more important and significant events were recorded later on," according to Watch Dog, a quarterly review for Civil War re-enactors. "There is a bite to her words that seems lacking in other period accounts which display few candors."

Smith, the proprietor of one of the largest Civil War uniform and accouterment reproduction companies in the country, stumbled across a typed copy of a large portion of French's journal about seven years ago at a McMinnville library.

"In my line of work, I'm always researching and searching for first-hand accounts," said Smith, who recalled he was looking for information about dress of the time period when he found the journals. "They were typewritten, and there were some parts missing, so I went to the Tennessee State Museum and they were helpful with getting me the missing information."

Smith became enthralled with French's journal, which was somehow overlooked by all but a few scholars, and seven years later decided to publish it for others to enjoy.

French's maiden name was Lucy Virginia Smith. Her colorful life began in Virginia; however, after the premature death of her mother, her father left her and her sister to be raised in Pennsylvania by their grandmother and aunts, who made sure both girls received a remarkable education.

After graduating from Emma Willard Seminary in Pennsylvania, the girls moved to Memphis to become teachers; Virginia also began writing and submitting poetry and articles under a pen name; one even made its way into the Shelbyville Expositor in the early 1850s.

In that time period, with no wire service, newspapers would reprint articles from other newspapers that appealed to their audience, which was the case with the Shelbyville Expositor reprinting the young lady's poem after it originally appeared in a Memphis paper.

While in Memphis, she dove into the social scene and became well-liked by those surrounding her. When she told friends that the popular work of L'Inconnue (her pen name) was hers, news spread fast and she quickly became famous.

She became a contributing editor for Southern Ladies Book, a periodical based in Louisiana.

In 1853, she married Col. John H. French, of McMinnville, and after their honeymoon the couple made their life in McMinnville, where Mrs. French once again easily settled into her new life, fastly making new friends while continuing to write.

She received significant promissory notes for her work that appeared in Atlanta's Crusader magazine in the early 1860s, which followed work that appeared in Graham's magazine, the same magazine that published the work of Edgar Allen Poe, according to Smith.

When the war began, she was extremely well-known and everyone from colonels and generals, on both sides of the war, to farmers, foot soldiers and slaves, wanted to meet her. In her daily journal, she wrote of the stories these people had candidly shared with her.

As noted in her journal, Mrs. French, while initially against seccession, quickly became a supporter of Tennessee's withdrawal from the Union.

Nonetheless, folks on both sides of the war opened up to Virginia and her journal is one that links present America to that of the past.

"Virginia's journal is the most remarkable record of daily life inside of the Confederacy," according to Smith. "The problems, joys, shortages, the highest hopes and deepest despair are all recorded in a most personal way."

L. Virginia French's War Journal 1862-1865 can be purchased locally at The Blockade Runner ( www.blockaderunner.com ) or That Book Store, 117 E. Depot St.