Monday, January 14, 2008

Tuesday, January 15, 2008 Warrior Women of the Civil War



The Civil war, one of the most famous wars in American history, is sometimes called the war between brothers. This is because the soldiers of the both sides were not really all that different and many times, brothers, cousins, and friends fought on opposite sides. This title, however, also gives a false impression that the war was fought completely by men.

Although many still believe this, it is just not true. Many women helped the war by serving as nurses, vivandieres, sutlers, spies, and even soldiers. In fact, it has been documented that more than 400 women became soldiers in the Civil war.

They could not, however, do so openly, because of the suffocated role of women at that time. Because of this, women had to become soldiers by disguising themselves as men.

It seems that a women disguised as a man would be easily recognized, especially if she were to join the army. However, it was really not that hard. The physical examinations that were done on incoming recruits were poorly conducted, sometimes only requiring the recruit to be able to fire a weapon or open a mini ball cartridge. Also, there was no previous experience required, so women, for once, were not at a disadvantage.

It is still curious to note that most women were not recognized even while living in such close quarters, surrounded by men. This is most likely a result of the fact that the men of this time period were biased about the physical, emotional, and intellectual abilities of women. The thought of a woman soldier did not even cross many men's minds and many women were thought to be simply very young men.

Women had many different reasons for becoming soldiers. Many did so after a loved one, usually a husband, had gone to war. Some women thought that it was their wifely duty to follow their husbands into battle.

Others envied their brother's and husband's brave attempts to help end the war. The sanitary fairs and soldier's-aid societies that were open to women were just not enough for some. These women became soldiers to fill a need for adventure and independence.

This reasoning was not looked upon as kindly as wifely devotion. Many times the women soldiers were depicted by newspaper stories as immoral.

Women more commonly donned uniforms by joining local companies organized for home defense. While the reasoning for this usually stemmed from hatred and fear of the enemy, the basis of some organizations was the view that women had the right to bear arms as well and could even perform as officers better than men.

Although the penalty, if caught, was to be arrested and treated as a criminal, many women still risked it. However, because these women were enlisted under aliases, records are very scarce.

Unfortunately, there are probably many more women soldiers that are just not known about because they were forced to keep their true identity a secret. These women fought and died in battle to help unite our country and make it what it is today.

It is sad that our country has been so slow in recognizing the great accomplishments of these women. This too is changing, however. There will soon be a memorial to all of the brave women who fought in the Civil War.

Read and answer.

1- List five (5) ways that women helped the war effort.

2- About how many women served as soldiers during the Civil War?

3- The government did not allow women to join the military so how were women able to become soldiers?

4- What were some of the reasons women joined the military?

5- What could happen to a women if they were "discovered" in the army?

6- What is being planned to recognize the accomplishments of these fighting women?

posted by Mr. Attila Matusek @ 8:15 PM   0 Comments

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