Women and the Civil War
Click below to explore the unique and similar experiences of
Northern and Southern women
Southern Women Northern Women
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Southern Women
Dealing with shortages
Running farms and businesses
Supporting the soldiers
Medical care
Fighting women and spies
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Northern Women
Running farms and businesses
Medical Care
Supporting the soldiers
Fighting women and spies
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Phoebe Yates Pember
The most famous individual
woman who provided medical care in
the South, Pember worked in in the
Chimborazo Hospital in Richmond, VA
where she rose to the position of Chief
matron. A Jewish widow of one of
Savannah’s leading families, she served
from December 1962-April 1865 when
the war ended. Chiamborzo was the
largest military hospital in history and
during the war 76,000 soldiers were
treated there.
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Suffering From Shortages
One of the Union’s most powerful
tools against the South was the
blockade which created shortages of
luxury and ordinary items. Wealthy
women dressed in homespun fabric,
combs, forks and toothbrushes wore
out. Imported foods - coffee, tea, sugar
- were impossible to get. In additon,
prices skyrocketed. Bacon and butter
cost $20. A pound, and chickens sold
for $50. Each. Bread riots occurred in
Richmond and other cities.
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Supporting the Soldiers
In addition to caring for their
homes and families, women on both
sides volunteered many services to
support troops.
•Sewing •Aid Societies
•Nursing at home •Letters
•Sanitary Commission •Patriotism
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Patriotism
The numerous contributions women
on both sides made to the war effort
reveals a strong sense of patriotism.
Women bravely encouraged their men to
fight, and bravely suffered losses. Mrs.
John Banks of Georgia had nine sons in the
war, three killed in Atlanta. Mrs. Oran
Palmer lost 4 sons at Gettysburg, and in
1862 an Iowa woman learned from a single
letter that her husband, father and brother
had all been killed. In many cases the
sacrifices of loves ones increased the
intensity of their support of their country.
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Letters
Perhaps the hardest thing for
women was waiting at home not
knowing where her husband or son
was, and in what condition. While
letters from their men were eagerly
awaited, letters they wrote to the
soldiers provided a lifeline to home
and something to read during the long
days between battles. Since most
Americans were literate, letters were
written (and diaries were kept) on a
regular basis.
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The Sanitary Commission
Organized by Elizabeth Blackwell,
the commission was created to set up
supply stations and hospitals, hire
nurses and collect donations. To meet
shipping costs,and supply needs
donations were solicited from citizens.
At one point the Chicago Sanitary
Commission ran a fair that raised over
$100,000.
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Aid Societies
Worked to make the supplies
needed by the army , especially
bandages. In addition they ran fairs to
raise donations to buy supplies and pay
shipping costs. In the South women
met trains carrying wounded soldiers
with meals. In Columbia, S.C. a group
of young women set up a refreshment
stand for wounded soldiers waiting for
connecting trains. As time went on
each soldier received a bath, a change
of clothes and a cot for a nap in
addition to a meal.
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Nursing at Home
The medical corps of both
armies were much to small to deal
with the great numbers of injured
soldiers, so frequently wounds would
be treated in field hospitals and the
soldiers would be sent home to
recuperate. Friends and relatives
therefore became nurses of their
loved ones in addition to the many
other tasks they were called upon to
perform in their daily lives.
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Sewing
Women at home supplied the
armies with many of their needs. Each
soldier carried with him a uniform,
bedding, socks, and, if he was lucky, a
few comforts all made at home.
Women outfitted entire companies not
only with personal supplies but flags
and tents as well. Women brought
their knitting everywhere, and their
sewing if it was done by hand. Supplies
were produced in such great numbers
the women organized distribution
systems to get them to the troops.
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Medical Care
Prior to the Civil War, women
were considered too delicate for
nursing. The war changed that
perception and a number of women
distinguished themselves providing
medical care to Union soldiers.
Dorothea Dix Mary Walker
Clara Barton Power Sisters
Mary Nuns
Bickerdyke
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Nuns
Catholic nuns contributed their
services in the treatment of wounded
soldiers in many places. The Sisters of
Charity cared for soldiers at Harper’s
Ferry, Richmond, Lynchburg and
Gettysburg. Sisters of Mercy worked in
Vicksburg and Sisters of St. Dominic
served in Memphis. Although numbering
less than 200, their previous training and
devotion to service resulted in
contributions far beyond that expected of
200 women.
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Power Sisters
The five Power Sisters were all
teachers in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
In their twenties at the time of the
battle, they were among the 2400
residents of the town who cared for
the 24000 wounded in the battle.
They set up hospitals in two homes
and cared for as many as 28 soldiers
in the emergency following the battle
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Mary Walker
The only woman to receive the
Congressional medal of honor during
the Civil War, Mary began her service
as a nurse with the Army of the
Potomac. In 1863 she transferred to
the armies in the west, where, on one
occasion she performed the duties of
an assistant surgeon when none were
available. Due to her gender, she was
not eligible, a situation she remedied
by writing to President Lincoln who
saw to it that she received her salary.
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Mary Bickerdyke
Called “Mother” by the soldiers,
Mary served the wounded soldiers in
the Western Theatre of the War. She
searched battlefields with a lantern at
night to locate wounded soldiers,
washed clothes, brewed coffee, and did
anything else that would make the
soldiers’ lives easier. She was the only
woman William Tecumseh Sherman
would allow in his camps.
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Dorothea Dix
Nicknamed “Dragon Dix” for her
strict rules, Dorothea served as
Superintendent of Union Nurses for four
years without pay. Turning away any
volunteers she felt were seeking
romantic adventures, she wanted only
plain women - no curls, hoops, jewelry,
bows or bright colored clothing. Not
only did she oversee nurses, she also
worked to see that hospital conditions
and care of the wounded were greatly
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Running Farms and
Businesses
Women in the North and South
were called upon during the war to fill
in for the men who went off to war.
This meant running farms and
plantations, supporting families and
working in factories. Women became
the producers of food, textiles and
weapons, and entered the previously
male dominated professions of
government workers and teachers. In
most cases, they were paid lower
wages than their male colleagues
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Union Soldiers and Spies
Harriet Tubman
Sarah Edmonds
Francis Clalin
Jennie Hodgers
Elizabeth van Lew
Neither the Confederacy nor the Union
recruited female units. Many women who
tried to fight were quickly discovered and
sent home. An estimated 400, however
successfully disguised themselves and saw
action. Both sides willingly employed female
spies.
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Harriet Tubman
Famous for her work conducting
slaves to freedom, Harriet Tubman
organized a a group of former slaves
to hunt for Rebel camps and report
Confederate troop movements to the
Union army. In addition, she worked as
a nurse, cook and laundress for Union
troops. Later in her life the US
government paid her a pension for her
services.
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Sarah Edmonds
Sarah began masquerading as a
man years before the war began. In
1861 she enlisted in an infantry unit as
a male nurse, went through basic
training, saw action and served as a spy
as well as a nurse. He true identity was
never discovered by her comrades. After
the war she married, gave birth to three
children and adopted two. In 1880, her
fellow soldiers learned of her identity
when she asked for their aid in getting a
pension
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Frances Clalin
Few details
are known of
Francis Clalin’s
service, except
that she served
in the Union
Calvary. She is
pictured here in
her uniform and
in women’s
dress.
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Jennie Hodgers
Jennie fought in the war under the
name Albert Cahier. She served in the
95th Illionois Volunteer infantry for four
years, and continued her disguise for
many years. Only in 1911 was here true
identity discovered after he/she was
involved in an automobile accident. At
first the pension board reviewed her
pension claim (already paid since 1899)
for fraud, but her service was verified
and she collected the pension until her
death in 1915. QUIT
Elizabeth Van Lew
Known as “Crazy Bet” by her
neighbors, Elizabeth a northern born
resident of Richmond used her
eccentric reputation to cover here
espionage activities. She created a a
network of agents to carry information
to the Union army, including Elizabeth
Bowser, a former slave who worked in
the Confederate White House. Her
messages, written in invisible ink and
carried in hollowed out shoe heels
were invaluable as the Union planned
the capture of Richmond. QUIT
Confederate Soldiers and Spies
Loreta Velazquez
Belle Boyd
Rose Greenhow
Sue Monday
Nancy Hart
Many Southern women did unofficial
spy work by smuggling badly needed
supplies across lines to the Rebel army,
counting on the gallant nature of guards not
to search among their petticoats. One woman
was arrested wearing a voluminous (50 yards)
petticoat that was destined to become an
observation balloon.
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Loreta Velazquez
With her hair cropped short
and a false mustacher, Loreta
disguised herself and recruited a
batallion. Known as Harry Buford,
she saw action at a number of
battles and was temporary
commander of a company after all
other officers disappeared at the
Battle of Ball’s Bluff in Virginia.
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Belle Boyd
Perhaps the most famous female
spy of the war was the Confederate, Belle
Boyd. She wrote her messages in
longhand and signed them, resulting in
her arrest on several occasions. Thanks
to her personally delivered information,
Stonewall Jackson won one of his most
famous victories at Front Royal, VA. She
fell in love with and married a Union
soldier (her prison guard, who was
arrested and imprisoned for treason.
Although he was released, his health was
ruined and Belle was a widow at 21.
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Rose Greenhow
Rose Greenhow lived and worked
for the Confederates in Washington,
D.C. He reports helped the South win
its important victory at the First Battle
of Bull Run. Soon after Greenhow was
arrested and held in prison for one year
before being sent to the South. In 1864
she traveled to Europe to collect money
for the Confederacy, and drowned
running the blockade as a result of of
the weight of gold sewn into her
clothes.
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Sue Monday
As an officer in a band of guerilla
fighters, Monday saw considerable
action. Known as Lieutenant Flowers
she wore a full Confederate uniform
and led the soldiers in Kentucky where
they harassed federal outposts and
loyal citizens plundering riches for the
Confederate cause. Her special talent
was to “relieve” captives of any jewelry
they were carrying. Her position was
not recognized by the Confederate
government.
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Nancy Hart
Well acquainted with her home
area of western Virginia, Hart was able
to offer much information about Union
troop movements to Stonewall Jackson.
She even led his cavalry on several
raids against Union posts. Once
imprisoned, she escaped by grabbing a
gun from one of her guards and
shooting him dead.
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