In The Review Queue: Women's Crusader

Women's Crusader: Catharine Beecher's Untold Story

By R. Lee Wilson

Catharine (Kate) Beecher was a crusader for women’s education, bestselling author, and unique feminist thinker in the nineteenth century. Yet many today have never even heard of her. Kate’s fame was eclipsed by that of her younger sister, abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe.

Women’s Crusader reveals the untold tale of romance and grief that launched Kate on a new path as an advocate for American women. Biographer R. Lee Wilson combed through unpublished letters, manuscripts, and diary entries to discover the secrets of Kate and Alexander Fisher, an unlikely couple. Kate was a fun-loving extrovert, while Alexander was an introverted math prodigy and brilliant Yale professor. But they were brought together by a piece of her published poetry and their joint love for music. After a tragic shipwreck tore them apart, Kate’s life dramatically shifted focus. She waged a battle against misogyny to help provide women with the education they deserved. Compelling and meticulously researched, Women’s Crusader is the inspiring turning-point story of an important yet little-known woman in US history.

About the Author

R. Lee Wilson is a passionate historian, scholar, and former CEO. He is a retired Booz Allen partner, Harvard MBA, and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of DePauw University. He was an executive vice president at Chase and Equitable Life before finishing his career as CEO of First Capital. He lives with his wife, Deb, on Sanibel Island in Florida and spends his summers in Greenwich, Connecticut.

ISBN 979-8991451512, Glanderston House, © 2025, Paperback, 303 Pages, Photographs, Illustrations, Genealogical Charts, End Notes & Index. $19.00.  To Purchase the book click HERE.

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Monday, January 16, 1865

Splendid weather. Lt Sharman quite ill and in our qtrs. Reported (?) Shelby on the Ark river above here. I. N. Ritner dies in Hosp. Battalain drill P. M.

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, p. 571

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Tuesday, January 17, 1865

Warm & pleasant. Genl Inspection by Capt Barnes A. A. I. G. 1st Div at 2 P. M. Sharman removed to Officers Hospital

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, p. 571

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Wednesday, January 18, 1865

Quite warm beautiful day. hear Lt Sis no better. disease Pnumonia, Rumors (?) of fighting near Ft Smith and boats captured

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, p. 571

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Thursday, January 19, 1865

Battalain drill P. M. Lt. Sharman some better.

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, p. 571

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Friday, January 20, 1865

Reviewed at 12, M, by Genl Reynolds who compliments our Regt. Lt. Sharman, much worse. Capt L—— and Lt Rice go to sit up with him Mill 7 mile from town burned by Rebs

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, p. 571

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Saturday, January 21, 1865

Wet drizzly rain all day. Fort detail relieved. Lt Seevers brings report of a march for 10 days. No orders until near noon, orders come to be ready by 8, A. M. tomorrow over to see Lt Sharman. he is better. Evening prevailing opinion that it is good bye Little Rock how are you Shrevesport. A cooperating column reported moving up Red River. nearly all the troops cav. & Inft to go.

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, p. 571

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Sunday, January 22, 1865

Morning drizzly, over to Amb. C. & to see Lt Sharman who is better before day. Regt to St Johns Square at 9 a. m. all there at 11.30 and start. 1st Mo cav. 1st Iowa cav 43d Ill Inft. 50th Ind Inft. 28th Wis Inft 9th Wis Inft 33 Iowa Inft. 2 secs. of 25th Mo battery, all light order. Roads rough. Camp at 4. P. M. at Mill burned by Webs jeorillas 8 miles from town. Snow from 3.30

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, p. 571

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Monday, January 23, 1865

Morning clear & cold with 3 inches of snow. off at 7.15 walking tolerable. teams sticks. P. M. bad bottom roads very bad camp at 1. P. M. at Widow Campbells marched 12 miles. Evening cold

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, p. 571

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Tuesday, January 24, 1865

Night cold, off at 7.30. Regt in rear roads very bad. Camp at dark in a wet swamp. marched 12 miles

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, p. 571

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Wednesday, January 25, 1865

Cold. off at daylight. road tolerable in Pine Bluffs at 12. camp at 1.30 1½ mile from town 40th Ia reported at the Rocks, and boats captured on Ark river. March today 13 miles Rations come up this Evening. 33d in advance today

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, p. 572

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Thursday, January 26, 1865

Night cold. ice 2 inches off. at 7. road bad 4 miles slow. rest of march fast. 1 pris. taken. 25 Rebs seen by scout. Make 12 miles. troops from Pine Bluffs with us 106th & 126th Ill. Inft & 1 sec of Negro battery

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, p. 572

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Friday, January 27, 1865

Not so cold. prospect of rain, road muddy, marching hard. Mount Ebby at 2. P. M. camp at river at 3.30, after marching 18 miles, from Cav in camp, had killed one and captured 15, of Webs band. 1st Mo lost 1. Killed Pontoon laid cav with 2 days rations cross at 4. to ride all night to scare at Camden some of prisoners Haskells Employees

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, p. 572

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Saturday, January 28, 1865

Inft in camp all day, forage party find plenty. 9. Wis Party bring in two prisoners Col Mackey & 3 of staff with guard of 50 cav cross river to get news of cav. Pantoon boats canvass. Fagan with 2500 reported at Montocello

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, p. 572

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Sunday, January 29, 1865

Inft in camp all day. A wounded Reb found in the brush near the bridge. at 12. M, Col Mackey returns. was out and camped 10 miles, heard nothing of Cav. At 1. P. M. go to see the Prisoners 25 in no. 1 spunky sergt. 2 little boys only temporairly detained. Cav return at 4 P. M. with 20 Prisoners & 95 head of cattle had been within 15 miles of Camden 2 last days pleasant.

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, p. 572

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Monday, January 30, 1865

Start back at 7. Morning drizzly Very hard marching. one Pris taken by the 9. Wis. dressed in uniform will say who or what he is. drizzly rain nearly all day.

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, p. 572

Diary of 2nd Lieutenant John S. Morgan, Tuesday, January 31, 1865

Column moved at 7. Roads bad & marching very heavy. pass through Pine Bluffs at 1. P. M. camp 2 miles from town. The cavalry rec marching orders & turn over all thier Govt property Horses Wagons &c at Pine Bluffs

SOURCE: “Diary of John S. Morgan, Company G, Thirty-Third Iowa Infantry,” Annals of Iowa, Vol. XIII, No. 8, Third Series, Des Moines, April 1923, p. 572

In The Review Queue: Boutwell

Boutwell:Radical Republican and Champion of Democracy

By Jeffrey Boutwell

During his seven-decade career in public life, George Sewall Boutwell sought to “redeem America’s promise” of racial equality, economic equity, and the principled use of American power abroad. From 1840 to 1905, Boutwell was at the center of efforts to abolish slavery, establish the Republican Party, assist President Lincoln in funding the Union war effort, facilitate Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, impeach President Andrew Johnson, and frame and enact the Fourteenth and Fifteenth civil rights amendments. He helped lay the foundations of the modern American economy with President Grant, investigated white terrorism in Mississippi in the 1870s, and opposed American imperialism following the Spanish-American War alongside Andrew Carnegie, Mark Twain, and Booker T. Washington. The son of a Massachusetts farming family of modest means, George Boutwell would do battle during his career with American political royalty, including Henry Cabot Lodge and Teddy Roosevelt.

The first major biography of an important public figure who has long been hiding in plain sight, Boutwell is as much a history of nineteenth-century US politics as it is a critique of the failures of governance during a turbulent and formative period in American history.

About the Author

Jeffrey Boutwell is a writer, historian, and science policy specialist whose forty-year career spanned journalism, government, and international scientific research. He lives in Maryland. Jeffrey and George share a common ancestor, the indentured servant James Boutwell, who emigrated in 1632 from England to Salem, Massachusetts.

ISBN 978-1324074267, W. W. Norton & Company, © 2025, Hardcover, 368 Pages, Photographs, Illustrations, End Notes & Index. $39.99.  To Purchase the book click HERE.

Diary of Private Edward W. Crippin, Wednesday, October 16, 1861

Rather gloomy morning Not enough men in camp to make any stir as those who were on the sick list only were left behind. Robt. Felan was found to day and brought into camp. William Sullivan could not be found. The day has been spent in a fruitless search for them tis supposed they fell in with the Co. as the Regt. marched to the landing.

SOURCE: Transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society for the Year 1909, p. 229

Diary of Private Edward W. Crippin, Thursday, October 17, 1861

Still cloudy no news of importance Nothing to do in camp since our Regt. left. All quiet about the Brigade camp. The other Regts. are constantly drilling. No Capt. Parke yet. He ought to be made work on the fortifications ten days with a Ball & Chain to his leg No tidings of Sullivan Hickman & Brown to day have kept up a constant search for them. The day has closed without anything worthy of note.

SOURCE: Transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society for the Year 1909, p. 229