Alexandria, VA – Alexandria historian Madeline Feierstein has turned her passion for research into a career uncovering forgotten stories of people and places. Her new book, Occupied Alexandria: How The Civil War Transformed A Southern City, published by The History Press, explores how Union occupation reshaped Old Town Alexandria.
Drawing on accounts of thousands of civilians and soldiers, Feierstein examines Alexandria as “the first Confederate city in Virginia to be occupied during the Civil War.”
“For me it was important to take these stories on the road,” she said. “It was a full-on invasion and takeover by the Union Army,” which established five military prisons within sight of Washington, D.C.
Specializing in prisons, the military, and wartime societies, Feierstein conducted extensive archival research, studying medical ledgers from Alexandria’s Civil War hospitals, many housed in private homes. Her research uncovered Dr. Edwin Bentley, a U.S. Army major who led 30 military hospitals and commanded one of the war’s largest hospital networks.
Her sources include the Library of Congress, National Archives, Library of Virginia, and Museum of History in Richmond. The book grew from her graduate thesis, completed two years ago. “I never take things on face value. I’m relentless with research—which is why this book is so thorough,” she said.
Feierstein also runs Rooted in Place, LLC, offering genealogy research, guided historical tours, and events in Alexandria and Washington, D.C. She manages education for Emerging Civil War and teaches family-history research through her Beyond Ancestry.com website, helping people explore archival resources beyond conventional genealogy databases.
With a criminology degree from George Mason University and a master’s in history from Southern New Hampshire University, Feierstein has two more books in progress, including one about Bentley.
Her expertise has earned her a memorable nickname. At a Society of Civil War Historians meeting, someone recognized her with a shout: “Oh, you’re the prison girl!”
