Women’s Roles During the Civil War

It does not seem very likely that women had more roles than thought originally during the Civil War, such as spies, nursing, refugees, and only a few were soldiers. Some historians disagree about some of the roles women had during the Civil War. Few historians do not agree about some of the roles women played during the Civil War. As a woman, this history is crucial to know what our woman ancestors had to endure to see who they were and to see ourselves.
Women and children would have to run and leave their homes because of the soldiers threatening the way of life. As an account tells us a woman begged the Union soldiers to spare her house because she has a sick child. The soldiers let her stay one more night under one condition, that she burn her house before she left. She kept her word and her house burned and she along with her children had to travel; to find a new home. (Civil War Women: Their Quilts, Their Roles, Activities for Re-enactors.) Many refugees were not able to find homes or food. In Richmond, Virginia a camp of refugees is recorded in “Southern Girl in ’61.” Most of the refugees (women and children) in the area were malnourished, with no warmth in clothing and blankets, and the shelter used did not protect them well enough to hide them from the elements. (Southern Girl in ’61.) In another source it shows that well off civilians’ would donate food to the refugees when they were able to spare any food. (A Diary from Dixie.) This shows that even when the nation was split apart, citizens still cared about other people’s well-being.
Dr. Richard Beeman claims that refugees never existed because they were a traveling to see family or friends for extended periods of time. They happen to not have enough money to stop f...

... middle of paper ...

...heir Roles, Activities for Re-Enactors.” Lafayette: C&T Publishing, 2000. 26, 52, 62, 63, 72. Print.
Dannett, Sylvia, Sarah Emma Seelye and Franklin Thompson. “She Rode with the Generals.” New York: Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1960. 14, 31, 44, 47, 49, 51, 52, 55, 56, 69, 75. Print.
Eggleston, Larry. “Women in the Civil War: Extraordinary Stories of Soldiers, Spies, Nurses, Doctors, Crusaders, and Others.” Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 2003. 102, 103, 104. Print.
Scarborough, Ruth and Belle Boyd. “Belle Boyd: Siren of the South.” Macon: Mercer University Press, 1997. 34, 35, 38, 40, 42, 45, 46, 47. Print.
Worthington, C.J., Harry Buford and Loreta Velazquez. “The Women in Battle.” Richmond: Dustin, Gilman & Co., 1876. 53, 54, 55, 56, 58, 60, 86. Print.
Wright, Louise. “Southern Girl in '61.” New York: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1905. 165, 181. Print.