Gone: A Photographic Plea for Preservation

By Nell Dickerson, Shelby Foote and Robert Hicks

Photographer and architect Nell Dickerson began her exploration of antebellum homesteads with encouragement from her cousin-in-law renowned Civil War historian and novelist Shelby Foote. Her passion for forgotten and neglected buildings became a plea for preservation. Gone is a unique pairing of modern photographs and historical novella. In PILLAR OF FIRE, Foote offers a heartbreaking look at one mans loss as Union troops burn his home in the last days of the Civil War. Dickerson shares fascinating and haunting photographs, shining a poignant light on the buildings which survived Sherman's burning rampage across the Confederacy, only to fall victim to neglect, apathy and poverty.

From the photographer:
The Civil War had been over for exactly ninety years in 1954, when my cousin, Shelby Foote, published--PILLAR OF FIRE--as part of his novel, Jordan County: A Landscape in Narrative. The book's stories painted a vivid picture of a fictitious Mississippi county steeped in Southern culture.

PILLAR OF FIRE took readers into a heartbreaking and commonplace scene late in the Civil War, when Union troops moved through the civilian South destroying not only plantations but also ordinary homes and cabins. Those troops, battle-hardened and bitter from the loss of their own brethren, take no joy in burning a home in front of its dying, elderly owner and his frail servants. The cruelty of the circumstances is as much a given for them as the dying man's grief over all the memories that burn with his house.

Now, on the eve of the Civil War's 150th commemoration, my mission is to draw attention not only to the architectural heritage devastated by the war but also the heritage we've lost since then: to neglect, to poverty, and to shame, as the war's infamy colored the attitudes of later generations and tainted the homes those generations inherited. What the war didn't take, time and apathy did. And yet those grand old homes whether mansion or cabin deserve our reverence and protection.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BelleBooks
• Release date: Apr 15, 2011
• ISBN: 9781935661894

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GONE Copyright © 2011 by Nell Dickerson

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

This book is both fiction and non-fiction.

Pillar of Fire is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), events or locations is entirely coincidental.

Pillar of Fire from JORDAN COUNTY by Shelby Foote, copyright 1954 and copyright renewed 1982 by Shelby Foote. Reprinted by permission of Random House, Inc.

Some small edits have been made to Shelby Foote's original punctuation to reflect accepted modern standards. We sincerely intend to honor his creative vision and the integrity of his original publisher. The changes in this edition of Pillar of Fire address only basic punctuation issues that might distract readers.

All other text is non-fiction.

Forward: Robert Hicks

Notes and Afterward: Nell Dickerson

Photography: Nell Dickerson

Photographs: Copyright © 2005, 2006 and 2011 by Nell Dickerson

http://nelldickerson.com

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PO BOX 300921

Memphis, TN 38130

ISBN: 978-1-935661-89-4

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This eBook contains all of the content from the original hardbound book. However, it is reformatted to fit your electronic reader.

Porch, circa 1859, Bolivar County, Mississippi

Columns, circa 1859, Bolivar County, Mississipp

Parlor, circa 1859, Bolivar County, Mississippi

For my father,

James Searcy Dickerson

And

For my mother,

Nell Fargason Dickerson

House, circa 1861, Claiborne County, Mississippi

CONTENTS

foreword by robert hicks

plates by nell dickerson

essay by shelby foote

afterword by nell dickerson

map

acknowledgments

in memoriam

House, circa 1850, Marshall County, Mississippi

FOREWORD

ROBERT HICKS

IN 1980, on the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of I'll Take My Stand, by twelve southern writers who had labeled themselves ‘agrarians,’ Andrew Lytle, one of the original twelve, wrote an essay he titled, Reflections of a Ghost—An Agrarian View After Fifty Years.

He reflected on the agrarian movement, on the south they had known then, and all that had happened since. He concluded,

I've often asked myself: Why was it that so few people listened to us, although most were sympathetic. The kind of life they knew was at stake. I think the reason of their seeming indifference is this: nobody could imagine the world they were born in, had lived in, and were still living in could disappear. Well, it has.

Now, thirty-plus years after Mr. Lytle's essay, our nation stands at the threshold of the sesquicentennial of the American civil War and the next four years to follow. With the sesquicentennial will come a rebirth of interest and curiosity about THE WAR. There will be much retelling of the events and personalities that made up those tumultuous and bloody years—‘our national fratricide.’ Along with all the history that will be coming down the pike, there will be endless discussions and accusations from those who say our nation has not come far enough, and from others who say we have come far too far.

As someone who grew up in the south, in a time when there were still real, living links to the past (my grandfather was born the year before the war began and had vivid memories of Grant's army coming to his family farm in West Tennessee after Shiloh), I look forward to all the historians and pundits that are waiting around the corner.

Yet, for most Americans—those who are neither historians nor from my interest group—is there any real reason to keep looking backwards? Does the American civil War still have any value or impact as to who we are, what this nation is, good or bad? Are there any lessons to be learned from the war as we move forward?

In the end, those are going to be the most important questions to come out of all the hoopla. Our biggest hurdle is not whether the war was about slavery or ‘states’ rights' but whether the American civil War is any longer relevant.

That's the issue I would like to address. For if we don't, I will predict, here and now, that the American civil War will continue to travel the same road that the English Civil War took long ago, and will fade into the darkest crevasses of ancient history.

That would be the greatest of shames. For the truth is, if the line to immigrate into this country is longer than the line to immigrate into any other country on earth, it is because of the civil War.

Let me be clear when I say the civil War is not something reserved for those whose ancestors fought on one side or the other, or even for those whose ancestors were freed from enslavement. The civil War is important if you came over last year from Ecuador, Laos or anywhere else. For if you have chosen to throw your lot in with this country, the American Civil War is at the foundation of ‘why,’ whether you ever understand it or not.

That said, it would be an equal shame if you never understood this. You see, all those glorious platitudes that our Founding Fathers were spouting ‘four score and seven years’ before, were at the heart of the struggle. Again, I will let others argue about what all those issues were (and believe me, they will).

The truth is the civil War not only redefined who we were as a people, but also gave us the opportunity to do good and great things. Understand, I am not saying that we have arrived at our final destination as a nation or as a people. There is much that has been worked out, but there is still much to come.

So as we move into this sesquicentennial of the American Civil War, we have much to commemorate. Somehow, the American century, the ‘Greatest Generation,’ and all that has come about since the war are linked to those four years and their outcome and aftermath. None of the war's influence has been perfect, but I wouldn't want to be here without it.

If we are

Reviews for Gone

[docwood-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I obtained this book originally as a PDF file from the publisher via Early Reviewers. But this must have been one of those coded dealios that self-destructs after a certain time, like a "Mission: Impossible" assignment, because when I was ready to review it, I could not find it on the virtual desktop where it had happily resided for weeks. (This is why I have it in my "Read But Not Owned" collection.) I followed the link in the award e-mail, which I had cannily kept, only to discover it, too, had expired (the link, not the e-mail). Desperate to hold up my end of the Early Reviewers bargain, I struggled through the unwieldy flip-book format, which was, alas, the only option that remained to me. I wound up very, very irritated with the publisher. Reading it in this format was somewhat akin to touring Buckingham Palace by looking through the keyhole at the front door; one necessarily feels that one has only had a glimpse even after much effort. That said, Gone looks like it must be a stunning book. Because the photographs are in color, I cannot recommend the Kindle edition, even though it's only 99 cents today: Plunk down the big bucks and treat yourself to the hardcover if you love old houses, the South, photography, or Civil War history. Some of Dickerson's work is merely documentary (a lockset, for example), and one or two shots have that overly photo-shopped look that makes for deeply weird coloration, but there are also pictures in this book that are pure genius. She is very good at framing (the horse seen through the parlor door), and at times her lighting is almost magical. As a result, some of these scenes pack an emotional wallop—like the house with only its roofline still showing above the vegetation, as if it were a living thing drowning in a sea of scrub, struggling to keep its nose above the surface. It is disappointing that the book covers such a narrow strip of the Confederacy, for I am sure there are equally desolate scenes in states which Dickerson did not visit. Natives of those states will be less interested in owning a copy. Also, I think I would rather have had more stories about the homes themselves—who lived there? what happened to them—than the fiction by Shelby Foote which makes up most of the text. But these are quibbles. It is, as best I can tell without holding the actual book in my hands, a beautiful piece of work.

[lexi2008 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I received this e-book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program. I'm kind of embarrassed to say that that was about two or three years ago. Um, I'm a little behind on my reviewing responsibilities. But I'm working to get caught up. This book was an e-book, but in print form, I would imagine it would be truly beautiful. Nell Dickerson is a photographer, who has a strong interest in preserving the past...not just the past of the Old South, the focus of this book, but an interest in EVERYONE preserving their past. She does this through photographing old Southern homes, architecture and design from the Civil War era. In this book, she juxtaposes her photographs of these old homes with a story by her cousin, Shelby Foote, a famous Civil War historian and novelist, "Pillar of Fire." The story is about the burning of an old plantation home in Mississippi by Union troops, at the tail end of the Civil War. So what did I think of the book? I very much enjoyed the short story. But, honestly, I didn't pay much attention to the photos, as I was too wrapped up in the narrative to look closely at them. They are beautiful photos, but my interest was more in Foote's words. When I did stop to look at the photos, they didn't really seem to coincide with the story, and thus seemed a little pointless to me. I would much rather the photos have their own book, where the story wouldn't detract from their importance. Overall, three out of five Whatevers. Recommended for Civil War buffs, photography nuts, and those with an interest in preserving our national heritage.

[amiefett · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I rather enjoyed this book. It had some beautiful pictures. Wonderfully taken. It was a pretty easy read.

[hay123_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a fabulous book. I thought I had reviewed it just after it came out, but it seems it slipped through the loop. The photography is beautiful and the writing is well researched. As a historian, who wants more people to get an interest in history this is a great way of learning through thoughtful imagery and narrative.

[leengeo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Loved it! Anything about the American civil war is intreging to me. We definatley need to preserve this history and encourage others to do the same. The photography was gripping.

[lismarrow · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I can't believe I didn't put a review up before for this wonderful book. I didn't know too much about the American Civil War- most of my knowledge was to do with Gone With the wind! However after reading this book and seeing the photos of these beautiful ruins, the South and all its wonders are so much more real to me, a lowly KIwi at the other end of the planet! For Americans this book should be in all your schools and homes as it tells the history of your country with unadulterated honesty. Fantastic!

[anglersrest_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received my copy of this last year as part of the Library Thing Early Reviewers Programme.I was intrigued about the storyline,the history and words behind the photographs, which displayed an abandonment of the history of the United States. Essentially the book is the short story, titled the Pillar of Fire by Shelby Foote. To accompany the short story there are some truly breathtaking photographs taken by Nell Dickerson. There is some misalignment between the storyline and the accompanying photograph, but that did not detract from what the book is trying to achieve.The photographs show a derelict buildings each in poor condition, desperately affected by the elements. Each of those building played a part in the pre and post life of the Civil War and as such they deserve to be preserved for future generations.Whilst I read this as a PDF version I was able to read easily on PC and Laptop. I have since ordered this book in the hard back version so that I can enjoy the photographs further.

[jlstaples24 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fantastic book with wonderful photos. I shared this one with my husband since this is a genre he usually reads. He loved it too!

[georgia1-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

a fantastic book with exquisite photos, well worth the read.

[darth.amie · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I rather enjoyed this book. It had some beautiful pictures. Wonderfully taken. It was a pretty easy read.

[ladydiarma · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyed this - easy read. I think reading the hard cover would probably be more satisfying, because of the photographs. Some of it was lost in my Kindle 2 which is still in black and white. But well worth seeking out!

[motherdragon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very interesting book, especially for "visual learners"; great to use in the classroom to show students how important saving our history is now; pictures are amazing, almost heartbreaking at times.

[pearlmoth · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Gone is a beautiful, allegorical representation of the old south's glory. The wrap around porches, the many roman type columns. It is a great representation of the architecture and many shadows of the south.

[keizerfire-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a beautiful book of the old south where I was raised. Just out of college I was training to do historical restoration of antebellum homes, and the stories are amazing. You can find so many stories hidden in the walls. I would love to get a hard copy of this book with the amazing pictures it holds.

[lesphillips · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Gone: A Photographic Plea For Preservation is a book that uses the photography of Nell Dickerson and a short story by Shelby Foote to weave past and present into a powerful plea for the preservation of the rapidly decaying architecture and historical places of the antebellum South. Nell Dickerson's photos capture both the current condition and the ghosts of what had been of these out of the way places.While the book is a plea to preserve disappearing southern historical sites, it speaks to all of our American history that is eroding away.

[surtac_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely astonishing. What a marvellous match of story and photographs. An exhaltation of history as a combination of the physical reality and residue and the personal as experienced by the individuals who were there and lived through it.History at its best, up close and personal and powerful to boot.We need more of this.

[tigerlillee · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Combining two of my loves, history and photography, this book is amazing.It combines stunning photographs of antebellum homesteads in the Mississippi captured by Nell Dickerson with the history of the Civil War told by Shelby Foote.Seeing the stunning photos, the history comes alive and transports you back to the civil war between the North and South.This book tells of homesteads burning and the effect it has on the owners, slaves as well as the soldier themselves.I had never read anything by Shelby Foote before but after reading Gone, I will track down his other books.

[mardyg-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ever since I watched Ken Burns Civil War I became addicted to civil war history. Because of Mr. Burns I became a fan Of Shelby Foote and David McCullough. So when I won this book I was very excited.It is hard to believe that 150 years have gone by since the Opening shots at Fort Sumpter in April of 1861. This book of photos and the Short story by Shelby Foote brings home the fact that all about us things are changing, growing old and withered but the feelings remain strong on all sides. It is a wonderful book and I plan to buy it for my own collection. Let us hope we can preserve the past and make room for the future.

[myrlton · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was my second Early Reviewers reward. I enjoyed the stunning pictures and the essay by Shelby Foote. I would reccomend this to anyone. The past really isn't that long ago and this book gives a sense of how much we've lost because of neglect or apathy. I was especially moved by the picture of an abandoned Episcopal church. How sad to see such a beautiful building wasting away. I hope many others will download and read Gone: A Photographic Plea For Preservation.

[tbrennan1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was acquired as part of Early Reviewers. This is an unusual book as it consists of a short story by Shelby Foote describing an incident in the American Civil War backed up by beautiful photographs of pre-Civil War buildings which lie in ruins taken by Nell Dickerson. M/s Dickerson's photos illustrate the American Heritage of the Civil War period which is in danger of been lost for ever due to neglect and the advance of "progress". The short story backs up the photographs as it describes the burning of a plantation house by Union troops in 1864 and the paths leading up to the building and burning of the mansion and its brief history.

[panopticon2_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Although I don't own an e-book reader, I was sufficiently intrigued by this book's blurb to request it through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers, and read it online. Glad I did. It combines haunting photography of ruined historic homes in the American South with a wonderful short story set during the US Civil War (which culminates in the burning of an antebellum home by Union troops). Together, both elements make an eloquent argument for the preservation of historic architecture. A hard-copy edition would make for a beautiful coffee-table book.

[matamgirl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The photographs in the book are absolutely wonderful. I do find it very sad that so many of the buildings have turned into ruins. Historical preservation is something that I am very interested in. I did like the juxtaposition between the photographs and the story. I also received an e-book of this book which means that the photographs are not quite as effective as they would have been in print.

[rtp3_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Got the eBook to review after I did not get a real copy in the Early Reviewer queue. Anyway, wonderful photos but a shame that I could not read the essay. I imagine that if I wanted another coffee table book, this one would have to be high on my list (and I may purchase it as a present for my mother who lives in the Deep South).

[difreda · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As a lover of ruins and the stories they tell, this book reached out to me. As I read through the stories and saw the pictures, a poignant memory of seeing my family's farm where all but a few bricks and the old remained, covered with old growth. The author has a matchless mix of photography and the human journey. A reminder that we all have a story to tell, and that the stories or the past can still be found - even if told by the ghosts of our ancestors. A stellar book.

[reellibrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"Nell Dickerson showcases the architectural heritage devastated by the War, mansions as well as cabins, homes deserving reverence and protection." I received this e-book to review for Library Thing. The wonderful photographs show the decaying structures that need to be preserved for historical reasons. There were even some in my area that I did not know about. If you are interested in historical structures and preservation, this book is for you!

[kbause-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful book – the pictures are a stark reminder of how much of our past has decayed and been forgotten. You can feel the history in the pictures and I could easily imagine what these locations might have been like in their heyday. There is a story with the pictures of one man’s life from birth to death along with pictures of the home he built for his family that is very touching and really brings the pictures to life. This book is a great coffee table book – you can simply flip through and enjoy the pictures, or take time and read it with the story. I won this through the early reader contest and I have to say that I really wish it had come in hard back format rather than electronic – I would love to put it in my collection and take it out to show friends and family! I will be looking for it in hardback!

[shellyann_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

WOW!!!!!!!!!! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Not your typical history buff, this book kept my interest with the beautiful pictures of the past. Following the life of Isaac was also intriguing. The way the story and pictures intermingle shows how history does not have to be boring. The old shells of houses we see had a story. We need to preserve the past, know where we come from. A beautiful book that would belong on a coffee table. I only wish I could share mine with others. I will have to go look for it in hardback.

[carlthetaff · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Gone is an amazing title which takes the reader through locations of the Civil War but on a much more personal level. The photography is quite simply stunning and you can imagine the troops and civilians being there. The book brings to you the thoughts that every location has it's own story to tell and makes you think how many stories have been lost to time.I can imagine this being a great family history reference title if you are lucky enough to be decended from one of the owners or if your ancestors fought or workedin that area.I am going to buy a physical copy as soon as I am able.Enjoy!

[bugsbrock · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Two of my passions are old homes and family history, so it's not surprising that I loved this book. My mother's family is from the Deep South, and I've spent a fair amount of time there. The photography in this book captures the spirit of the Old South remarkably well. You can almost hear the chirping of the cicadas and the call of the whippoorwhill as you browse these photos. I really appreciated this book, and am glad that Nell Dickerson has captured the fading grandeur of the homes from the Civil War Era. She says that she hopes that raising awareness about the decline of these homes will encourage their preservation, and I completely agree with her. Interspersed among the photographs is the short story about one man's life from birth to death, and the grand home that he built for his family. It is a touching story, set during the Civil War, and I've found myself thinking of several very specific images from the story in the past few days since I finished reading it. The story and the text work together very well. My only regret with this book is that I read it in electronic format. It is the type of book that I would rather have on the coffee table for all to enjoy. I highly recommended it for anyone interested in the Old South, Civil War, or historic homes.

[bookerboy_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved the book. It reminded me of a college creative writing project in which we were challenged to write a descriptive article. In the dorm lobby was a picture of an old farm house. I wrote describing its location and condition which was similar to the houses and buildings in this book. Each structure pictured has a story to tell....families, gatherings, good times and bad times. Each one gives a call for the preservation of those memories. To that end I think the book accomplishes its purpose. Shelby Foote's beautiful narrative enhances that call. Poignant and picturesque his story weaves the Jameson mansion's memories in with Nell Dickerson's supurb photography.