Blanton, DeAnne and Lauren Cook. “They Fought like Demons: Women Soldiers in the American Civil War.” Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1964. 91, 92. Print. In “They Fought like Demons: Women Soldiers in the American Civil War,” Blanton and Cook tell the unique stories of women actually fighting in the Civil War. Not only did women fight as soldiers they also died as soldiers. Soldiers and field nurses would find women who fought on both sides of the war. The woman soldiers who had died in battle would be buried separately than the men soldiers. Brackman, Barbara. “Civil War Women: Their Quilts, their Roles, Activities for Re-Enactors.” Lafayette: C&T Publishing, 2000. 26, 52, 62, 63, 72. Print. Brackman, in “Civil War Women: Their Quilts, their Roles, Activities for Re-Enactors,” tells the stories of nurses, refugees, civilians, and spies during the Civil War. Bold stories of women who are taking care of children and wounded soldiers having to flee their burning homes to save their families. The horror of hospital work with seeing many men dying in agony from battle wounds that are infect by maggots and disease. There is a story that a woman named Georgeanna Woosley made up a costume for women nurses that were not used in the hospitals. Sarah Hill notes on a ship that she saw this costume and knew from the hat and hoop skirt that Woosley was not a nurse. Chesnut, Mary, Isabella Martin and Myrta Lockett Avery. “A Diary from Dixie.” New York: Gramercy Books, 1905. 77, 80, 388. Print. In Mary Chesnut’s diary, she tells of a wealthy Politian’s wives view of the American Civil War. She talks about a female Union spy that she is polite to her because they are having a sociable dinner. This female spy asks her many questio... ... middle of paper ... ...d he is completely shocked that she would take something that far too only prove appoint. She leaves him in charge while she goes to complete paperwork. While she is away, he is showing her men how to shoot and during one of his presentation the gun malfunctions and he dies. When she comes back she finds out what happens, but stays in the war to complete her duty to her country. Wright, Louise. “Southern Girl in '61.” New York: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1905. 165, 181. Print. Louise Wright talks about her life during the time of the American Civil War. In her experiences she talks about how she thought Richmond refugees were strong and brave to take on the elements without everyday necessities, such as food and shelter and not hear them complain. She also talks about ambulances during this time. In particular she sees mules taking the wounded soldiers to hospitals.
...mes, and Paul Boyer. Notable American Women, 1607-1950. Volume III: P-Z. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1971. Print.
Engel, Mary Ella. “The Appalachian “Granny”: Testing the Boundaries of Female Power in Late-19th-Century Appalachian Georgia.” Appalachian Journal 37.3/4 (2010): 210-225 Literary Reference Center. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.
The author of What This Cruel War Was Over does not primarily focus on women in her book, but she does mention that “Few things could more effectively make nineteenth-century white men, North or South, feel that their society was under attack than questioning the behavior or morality of white women,” in considering women’s treatment of Union soldiers. (Manning, 62) In a contradictory statement, Faust notes that “With words, gestures, chamber pots, and even, on occasion, pistols, white women assaulted the enemy in ways that many Southerners celebrated as heroic testimony to female courage and patriotism.” (Faust, 198) These two authors’ research has led them on two very separate paths; however, both used women’s treatment of Union soldiers to further their
Kimble, Lionel, Jr. "I Too Serve America: African American Women War Workers in Chicago." Lib.niu.edu. Northern Illinois University, n.d. Web.
One of the more significant roles that women played during the civil war was that of a soldier. Both Union and Confederate armies forbade the enlistment of women, so those that wanted to enlist, crossed gender boundaries and disguised themselves as young men and assumed masculine names. This war was not only a man’s fight, but it was also a woman’s fight. Female civil war soldiers, like the male soldiers, lived in camps, suffered in prisons and died for their respective causes. They were wounded prisoners of war, and killed in action. Going to war was strictly by choice and they were all aware of the risks involved. Many had never fired a rifle before much less contained the understanding of the army way of life, but nevertheless, they still managed and some were very successful.
"From Home Front to Front Line. " Women in War. Ed. Cecilia Lee and Paul Edward Strong.
In a 1944 magazine article, Eleanor Roosevelt claimed that American “women are serving actively in many ways in this war [World War II], and they are doing a grand job on both the fighting front and the home front.”1 While many women did indeed join the workforce in the 1940s, the extent and effects of their involvement were as contested during that time as they are today. Eleanor Roosevelt was correct, however, in her evaluation of the women who served on the fighting front. Although small in number due to inadequate recruitment, the women who left behind their homes and loved ones in order to enlist in the newly established Women’s Auxiliary Army Corp (WAAC), and later the Women’s Army Corps (WAC), were deemed invaluable to the war effort.
When all the men were across the ocean fighting a war for world peace, the home front soon found itself in a shortage for workers. Before the war, women mostly depended on men for financial support. But with so many gone to battle, women had to go to work to support themselves. With patriotic spirit, women one by one stepped up to do a man's work with little pay, respect or recognition. Labor shortages provided a variety of jobs for women, who became street car conductors, railroad workers, and shipbuilders. Some women took over the farms, monitoring the crops and harvesting and taking care of livestock. Women, who had young children with nobody to help them, did what they could do to help too. They made such things for the soldiers overseas, such as flannel shirts, socks and scarves.
Barton continued helping troops even after they were cared for. She would follow Union troops with her wagon ready for any medical needs that came up unexpectedly. She also comforted, cooked, and wrote for the soldiers. Throug...
These women exemplified “patriotic passion”, unwavering in their commitment to win America’s independence and create “one nation under God.” History tends to applaud the heroics of men in war, but there are few examples that cite the courage women displayed. We need to be vigilant when we remember that women deliberately made the choice to fear for their personal safety and risk their lives to share the burden of “freedom and justice for all”. These incredible women faced immense and unprecedented adversities, resulting in steadfast fortitude and unwavering determination. In my opinion, these are the “unsung heroes” of war and the inspiration for this research paper.
Now prior to the Civil War, women in the South were legally barred from purchasing slaves, since Antebellum society believed that such an action would be un-lady like. Now with the men away fighting for their lives, These Southern Mistresses began to take charge and run their plantations utilizing their armies of slaves, while enjoying the freedoms brought to them by the lack of archaic rules. Now in this new society, Southern Mistresses were able to have jobs within the Confederate government, or held positions of authority in field hospitals. Catherine Wright, writes in her article “Women in the Civil War”, for the encyclopedia of Virginia, that “Wealthy white women often had the privilege of volunteering, rather than working for wages, and they were frequently awarded positions of greater authority”. Southern mistresses of this era would volunteer, as both a way to flaunt their wealth towards others as well as to show their support to the Confederacy, by volunteering as nurses in confederate hospitals. This marking the first time in Southern history, where women were working as nurses for sick and wounded soldiers. Now southern mistresses were able to volunteer their time, since their personal slaves were able to take care of their personal
Ellet, E. F., and Lincoln Diamant. Revolutionary Women in the War for American Independence: A One-volume Revised Edition of Elizabeth Ellet's 1848 Landmark Series. Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 1998.
In the United States Civil War, women of the Union and Confederacy played an essential
Other ways that women helped in the Civil War were by being, cooks, daughters of regiments, flag bearers, laundresses, scouts, seamstresses, soldiers, spies, and vivandières also known as canteen carriers. There was some more jobs that women did to help. There were many women on the front. After the battle had cleared many soldiers would go and check to dead soldiers. More than likely there had been more than one female soldier dead. More than 400
Paul, L. (2009, May 24). In Civil War, Woman Fought Like a Man for Freedom.