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Memoir 1, Page 21, Lernaean Hydra

"Thus the Hydra, Secession grew until very soon the people found themselves the fettered subjects of conscription and tyranny."

The Lernaean Hydra was a many-headed serpent of Roman and Greek mythology. According to the legend, the Hydra guarded the gate the underworld and had regenerative healing powers that made it nearly impossible to kill. By using this metaphor, Woods is not only equating the Confederacy to a hellish serpent, but also likening the Union to the Greek demigod Hercules, who ultimately succeeded in killing the Hydra.