While thousands of men fought and died in the bloody battles of the civil war, it was the women who were greatly affected. They performed dangerous tasks and filled in the absences of men, and working under the demands of the civil war in factories and farms. Women also played cautious roles of spies and fought secretly in combat. Medical care, provided by women, came with the first hand sights of the horrors of the civil war that these women had experienced. Most women also supplied the soldiers with war tools, food, and a strong source of comfort for the men that were warring off so far from home. These contributions prepared the women early for the struggles they would face, gaining equality.
As the men were off to war, the women assumed jobs in, farms, and took over factories. Some of these duties, however, were very dangerous and caused death to many. One dangerous job women held, was working in munitions factories, making bullets and artillery shells for the union and the confederate armies. In Richmond Virginia, An explosion caused a tragic death of forty women and this was not the first or last time.(1,2)
Both the Union and Confederate forces had successful spies. Women worked well under this title, because they were not suspected as quickly as the men. Rose O’Neil, a successful confederate agent, was responsible for the victory of the battle of Bull Run (1861) with a ten-word secret message that she had sent to general Pierre G.T Beauregard. With her charm, intellect and ambition, she got connected with the Washington society, and used her pack to gain information about the Union troops, thus, transferring her reports to the Confederate troops and eventually Rose got discovered and was thrown in jail. Another spy was Elizabeth Van Lew, who worked for the Union. She was another who charmed her way in. When her foot was in the door to confederate doors, she gleaned military information from Confederate soldiers, guards and prisoners. Her former slave Mary Elizabeth Bowser occupied the white house of the south and received information about the confederacy. While in The home of Jefferson Davis, Mary and Elizabeth accessed war tactics of the south. Elizabeth helped soldiers escape and had them live in a small space in her home, and on February of 1864, she assisted prisoners to escape through a sixty-foot tunnel. To avoid getting caught, Lew stopped brushing her hair, and began to talk to herself to portray that she was mentally unstable. People on the streets called her “Crazy Bet”. In 1865, when Union soldiers took Richmond, she halted the act and was rewarded a Hero. (1,3)
It was absolutely forbidden by both the Union and Confederate Armies that women were not allowed to enlist into battle. Families also disowned women if she had entered into war because it was classified as “ unladylike”. Many women disregarded those rules and joined anyhow. There is no record of exactly how many women actually signed up, but there were accounts of females coming revealed. Frances hook, a 14 year-old girl signed up and was discovered. Like all women, Frances cut her hair short, bounded her breasts, wore pants, and put on the act of walking, talking, and cursing like a man. She transformed into private Frank Miller and told the recruiting officer she was 22 years old. Hook joined to be with her brother; the only person she has left, as most women justified their action. Miller was part of the 11th Illinois regiment and served for 90 days without her gender becoming unmasked. Frank fought in the battle of Fort Henry, and Fort Donelson. While in the battle of Frederickson, Missouri, she was hit in the shoulder where she became hospitalized, and she was discovered. The union discharged her and she then enlisted into the 90th Illinois Infantry, and while looking for food in an abandoned house, she was imprisoned in Atlanta Georgia by the confederacy. Her gender was yet again revealed and she was sent back North. Most women refused treatment in the civil war in fear of becoming discovered. The civil war was much more than the man’s war, but the people of the United but United states fight.
A saw cut through the leg as the man screamed of agony for mercy, and begged for death. The Medical provider undoes the clotted lint, removes the slough, and washes off the blood and matter off the wound. 1 For ten minutes an amputation would occur on the screaming, anaesthetized man. He dares not to look down at the bloody stump, and remains pale, devastated, and full of excruciating pain. Piles of precious parts of the human body lay in a corner stacked from four to five feet. Bloody fingers acted as probes and stained, bloody knives replaced scalpels. Diseases crawled around the hospital set homes and churches such as Aysentery, Measasles, small pox, maleria, pnenmonia, and typhoid fever. Nurses obviously worked under these difficult surroundings, seeing the first hand horrors of the civil war. Doctors were few, giving chances to thousands of women, North and South to help out in the hospitals, working all night long until they passed out from fatigue. Chances like these, utilized women to prove that they can work under these conditions and to show they were smart and strong enough as well. Such women as Clara Barton and Sally Tompkins aided hundreds of troops during the course of the Civil War. Clara Barton (North) initially requested to work in the battles territory and provide medical care to those who were wounded and sick. William A Hammond, a surgeon during the civil war, approved Clara’s deadly movement and Barton took an abundant wagon of water, food and medical supplies and went on her way to battle. Risking her life, Clara dodged bullets and ran for the fallen brothers, and nursed them. After her brave actions, Clara became the founder of the American Red Cross in 1881. Sally Tompkins (South) however, established a hospital in a private home, caring for more than 1300 troops. While in the medical field, Sally had only reported 73 deaths. She was later rewarded to become a captain in the confederate army, when Jefferson Davis, president of the confederate states appointed her. This position made Tompkins the first woman officer in the war. Another bunch of women who contributed to the war and had an immense affect was the sisters at St. josephs of Emmetsburg, Maryland went to the battlefields to aid wounded and sick soldiers for both alliances. They searched for long periods of time for hurt soldiers and helped transport them to hospitals. Women played an enormous role in the medical aspect in the war and still participated in many more activities.
Materials for soldiers were scarce. One group of Georgia women along with many other groups formed raffles, concerts, fairs, and societies to raise money and provide soldiers with supplies. These actions led to soldiers receiving socks, undergarments, shirts, gloves, blankets, shoes, bandages, and more importantly food.4
Women whose sons, fathers, brothers, and husbands were off to war became the source of comfort to those men through letters. A letter dated October 3, 1862, is from a Union officer John P. Jones to his wife Mary Jones. In this letter he describes that Mary Is the center of his happiness in the little time he is given to write to her. John expresses everything he is feeling to this woman and tells her about politics, slavery, battle, and writes to tell her he is worried about her health because she is sick. Jones provides information revealing that he will appreciate home like never before. Writing letters was the troops principal connection to the homes and families they left behind.5
In conclusion, women contributed to many aspects of the civil war and helped many men in combat, helping out in the business world, fighting next to them, nursing the wounded and sick, and leaving a source of comfort for those who were alone, and most of all, proved that they were smart and strong. They were now noticed and perceived as equals.
1.The Nation Splits: A Step Closer to the Civil War
Novi Meadows Elementary, 2002
2. Hart, Diane. Pursuing American Ideals. Palo Alto: Teachers Curriculum Institute, 2008.
3. "Elizabeth Van Lew biography." Lakewood Public Library (Lakewood, Ohio). 16 Mar. 2009
4. Frank, Lisa T. "Women during the Civil War." New Georgia Encyclopedia. 15 June 2004. University of Florida, Gainesville. 16 Mar. 2009
5. Basker, James and Justine Ahlsrtom, ed. I Take Up My Pen. New York: Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, 2008.
