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.

Historian Tom Elmore grew up in Columbia, South Carolina, where he heard countless tales and legends about life in the city during the Civil War. Elmore holds a BA in history and political science from the University of South Carolina. 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.

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