Mary Keys Jones, a native of Baltimore, Maryland, describes life in Baltimore from her infancy prior to the start of the Civil War, through her teen years which coincided with the Civil War and its aftermath. The early portion of this remarkable memoire describes life at her uncle's estate, Cloudcap, locate five miles north of Baltimore city. The attitudes of the family towards Cloudcap's slaves and the attitudes of the slaves toward their "masters" are probed. Within her family were both Union and Confederate supporters, causing friction within the family. One uncle hosted President Lincoln on his visit to Baltimore while other members of the family, including the author of this memoire, declined invitations to dine with him. Mary Keys Jones and many of her young friends aided Confederate causes throughout the conflict. After the Civil War ended, Mary struck up a life-long friendship with General Robert E. Lee, his wife, and his daughters. They met for the first time at White Sulphur Springs followed by subsequent visits to the Lee home in Lexington, Virginia. Several previously unpublished letters to and from General Lee and his family are included within this book. The letters and the author's descriptions provide fascinating glimpses into the General's personality. The book ends with Mary's marriage to a northerner.