Alexandria 1861-1865, Virginia (Images of America Series)

Alexandria and Northern Virginia were the first areas to feel the fury of the Civil War. The New York Herald war correspondent observed, "Many hamlets and towns have been destroyed during the war, Alexandria has most suffered. It has been in the uninterrupted possession of the Federals... Alexandria is filled with ruined people; they walk as strangers through their ancient streets, and their property is no longer theirs to possess... these things ensued, as the natural results of civil war; and one s sympathies were everywhere enlisted for the poor, the exiled, and the bereaved." This book graphically portrays the scenes of war and occupation.

Alexandria: 1861-1865, by Charles A. Mills and Andrew L. Mills, is a compilation of rare Civil War-era photographs from the Library of Congress and the private collections of Alexandria's William Francis Smith and Mollie Somerville. Smith began collecting photographs as a boy and specialized in 19th-century views. Somerville was secretary to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Charles A. Mills is the author of numerous books on the Civil War, including Echoes of Manassas and Treasure Legends of the Civil War. Andrew L. Mills is a history teacher and host of the cable TV show Virginia Time Travel.