Role of Women
How did women involve themselves in battle without being known as women?
Many women, including Maria “Belle” Boyd, used their feminine wiles and sharp-witted minds to act as spies within the Civil War. The acts of these spies ranged from sneaking information from government officials to eavesdropping on lobby conversation. Though one of the consequences of being caught was incarceration, the general public was aware of the presence of women spies.
What many people find surprising is the fact that of the four million soldiers on the field, approximately 400 were women. Disguised as men, these women fought for a multitude of reasons, including the need to stay by their fighting husband’s sides. These women wore disguises and enlisted as aliases because both the Union and the Confederacy prohibited women from fighting in the war.
Women soldiers in the war were ghosts in the army. To prevent being found, women often stayed out of the spotlight and kept to themselves. The consequences of being discovered was to be sent home, shortly imprisoned, or turned a blind eye on. Though there was recorded evidence and the general public knew about the women’s role, the US Army attempted to deny the existence of women soldiers.
What many people find surprising is the fact that of the four million soldiers on the field, approximately 400 were women. Disguised as men, these women fought for a multitude of reasons, including the need to stay by their fighting husband’s sides. These women wore disguises and enlisted as aliases because both the Union and the Confederacy prohibited women from fighting in the war.
Women soldiers in the war were ghosts in the army. To prevent being found, women often stayed out of the spotlight and kept to themselves. The consequences of being discovered was to be sent home, shortly imprisoned, or turned a blind eye on. Though there was recorded evidence and the general public knew about the women’s role, the US Army attempted to deny the existence of women soldiers.
What are the tasks and expectations of the nurses on the battlefield?
During the Civil War about 2 thousand women from north and south volunteered as nurses, while the majority of them were from the north. Female nurses did not really exist in America that time, because some people thought that young women were attracted to hospital for finding love. But now in the war people said that the female nurses are more sensitive than the men.
The women didn’t want to get paid for their service, because they just wanted to help the ill and wounded soldiers. They had to experience the bad consequences of the war like amputated arms and legs, disease and death. Also they had three major tasks. First they had to prepare and serve the food for the patients, second they managed the physical needs and last they cared for the emotional need the soldiers had. To do that they wrote letters, sang and prayed for them. Because of that, f or some soldiers the female nurses symbolized mothers, daughters or sisters.
Dorothea Dix and Clara Barton were the leaders to organize the nursing for wounded and ill people in the war. Dix already brought nurses in the Army Medical Bureau and Barton worked at the U.S. Patent Office and cared for wounded soldiers, returning from Washington. There were several nurses who volunteered through Dix. She expected them to be between 35 and 50 years old and they need to have a good health and not be attractive. Other female nurses volunteered through regional aid societies and religious communities.
The women didn’t want to get paid for their service, because they just wanted to help the ill and wounded soldiers. They had to experience the bad consequences of the war like amputated arms and legs, disease and death. Also they had three major tasks. First they had to prepare and serve the food for the patients, second they managed the physical needs and last they cared for the emotional need the soldiers had. To do that they wrote letters, sang and prayed for them. Because of that, f or some soldiers the female nurses symbolized mothers, daughters or sisters.
Dorothea Dix and Clara Barton were the leaders to organize the nursing for wounded and ill people in the war. Dix already brought nurses in the Army Medical Bureau and Barton worked at the U.S. Patent Office and cared for wounded soldiers, returning from Washington. There were several nurses who volunteered through Dix. She expected them to be between 35 and 50 years old and they need to have a good health and not be attractive. Other female nurses volunteered through regional aid societies and religious communities.
Work Cited
"Civil War Nurses: 'Angels of the Batllefield'" ["http://www.civilwarhome.com/civilwarnurses.htm"]. Home of the American Civil War. Shotgun, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012.
"Female Nurses of the Civil War." Female Nurses of the Civil War. Britta Arendt, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://cwnurses.tripod.com/>.
"Maria 'Belle' Boyd: Spy." Civil War Trust: Saving America's Civil War Battlefields. Civil War Trust, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/biographies/maria-belle-boyd.html>.
"What They Did." Female Nurses of the Civil War. Britta Arendt, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://cwnurses.tripod.com/what.html>.
"Women Nurses in the Civil War." U. S. Army Heritage and Education Center. USAHEC, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://www.carlisle.army.mil/ahec/AHM/civilwarimagery/Civil_War_Nurses.cfm>.
"Women Soldiers of the Civil War." National Archives. The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1993/spring/women-in-the-civil-war-1.html>.
"The Women Who Fought in the Civil War: Hundreds of women concealed their identities so they could battle alongside their Union and Confederate counterparts." Smithsonian.com. Smithsonian Media, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/The-Women-Who-Fought-in-the-Civil-War.html>.
"Civil War Nurses: 'Angels of the Batllefield'" ["http://www.civilwarhome.com/civilwarnurses.htm"]. Home of the American Civil War. Shotgun, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012.
"Female Nurses of the Civil War." Female Nurses of the Civil War. Britta Arendt, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://cwnurses.tripod.com/>.
"Maria 'Belle' Boyd: Spy." Civil War Trust: Saving America's Civil War Battlefields. Civil War Trust, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/biographies/maria-belle-boyd.html>.
"What They Did." Female Nurses of the Civil War. Britta Arendt, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://cwnurses.tripod.com/what.html>.
"Women Nurses in the Civil War." U. S. Army Heritage and Education Center. USAHEC, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://www.carlisle.army.mil/ahec/AHM/civilwarimagery/Civil_War_Nurses.cfm>.
"Women Soldiers of the Civil War." National Archives. The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1993/spring/women-in-the-civil-war-1.html>.
"The Women Who Fought in the Civil War: Hundreds of women concealed their identities so they could battle alongside their Union and Confederate counterparts." Smithsonian.com. Smithsonian Media, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/The-Women-Who-Fought-in-the-Civil-War.html>.