chap 2

Choices that people faced were to become a refugee or staying in a city under martial law. Leaving meant you had freedom but not much else and staying would result in losing rights such as:

• Ability to receive mail or newspapers from the confederacy

• 9 PM curfew would be enforced for residents

• Residents desiring to leave the city had to take an oath of allegiance to the United States and obtain special passes.

It may be impossible to understand the uncertainty and fear of the Civil War refugee as they were forced to abandon their homes, families and friends. Some families were able to flee with a meager amount of household goods and keepsakes. Other families fled with only the clothes on their backs and if they were lucky a small ration of food. Many refugees hoped to return and they buried and hid personal items, silver, books and many other belongs.

There were some families that had the luxury of joining families or friends in other states or countries such a Mexico or Canada, a few even going to Europe. There aren’t firm records of how many people became war refugees but it is estimated that between 175,000 and 200,000 families fled their homes.

Caring for the farms abandoned by men joining the military had mixed results for the women and children at home. They all did their best to maintain farms and fields but there were very mixed results and some women and children simply left. The inability of some families to support themselves forced women to seek employment in cities or to rely on the kindness of friends and families.

While Southern families were hit hard by the war and lives completely disrupted, the spirit of the Southern family was proven even as they took on the role of refugee. While fighting...

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...d in valuable information being passed to a number of Confederate leaders including General Stonewall Jackson. She was given the Southern Cross, named as a captain and honorary aide-de-camp on Jackson’s staff in recognition of her contributions.

In 1900 Belle’s life as a spy, actress and lecturer came to an end while touring and telling her story of war time activities. Her writings and lectures were her legacy.

The General’s Aid

Antonia Ford was suspected of spying for General Jeb Stuart and eventually trapped by a Union agent, another woman Frankie Abel, to expose her activities. She was commissioned as an honorary aide-de-camp and Major for General Stuart as well as being accused of helping John Mosby’s Rangers in her hometown of Fairfax, Virginia.

Illus. in: Harper's weekly, 1863 April 4, p. 211, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division