Life During the Civil War

Life During the Civil War

The Suffering and Sacrifice on the Battlefield and on the Homefront During the Civil War, 1861 - 1865

The Bread Riots of Richmond, VA

In 1863, women took to the streets in order to protest a lack of resources – including flour and bread – in the capital of the Confederacy. During the Civil War, Southerners were generally capable of producing enough food; however, distributing the resources could become extremely difficult. The government tried to send as much food as possible to the soldiers. When battles raged in Virginia, local sources for grain were exhausted quickly.

The Roles of Women During the Civil War

Because so many men were serving in the Union and Confederate Armies, women were required to maintain agricultural production – driving teams of oxen or horses, and using the mechanized agricultural equipment which had been recently developed.

Women worked in the textile industry and in some aspects of more heavy manufacturing.

Women maintained household accounts in good order. Women became leaders in nursing and hospital

supervision during the war – two fields which had traditionally been dominated by men.

The Draft Riots of 1863 – New York City

Just after the Battle of Gettysburg, a horrifying riot broke out in New York City, to protest the draft orders in that city. Communities resisted the draft by shooting at draft board agents, setting fire to military positions, and lynching African-American citizens.

Close to 200,000 African-American Soldiers and

Sailors Fought for the Union.

The 54th Massachusetts Colored Regiment

One of the first African-American regiments raised, this group, led by William Gould Shaw, went into battle at Fort Wagner, SC.

The Role of DiseaseLike every American war prior to World War I, disease killed more soldiers than actual combat. Smallpox, dysentery, typhoid, and pneumonia were all devastating killers. Having no knowledge of germ theory or even the most basic ideas about diseases’ origins, infection killed most soldiers who had their arms and legs amputated – a common practice during the Civil War.

Elizabeth Blackwell and the United States Sanitary

Commission Blackwell started the first

ever training program for nurses. She helped to found the United States Sanitary Commission, which gave medical assistance and supplies to all army camps and hospitals. Tens of thousands of women joined the US Sanitary Commission, and raised money for food, medical supplies, and clothing for injured soldiers.

Clara Barton Clara Barton worked

independently throughout the Civil War, often so close to the action that she would emerge with bloodstains or powder from fired guns on her clothing. After the Civil War, she would travel abroad and be introduced to the Red Cross. Clara Barton was the founder of the American Red Cross.

Sally Tompkins Sally Tompkins was actually

appointed to the rank of Captain during the Civil War. She ran a hospital for soldiers in Richmond, Virginia, and emphasized cleanliness in all things. Unwittingly, she had discovered a way to prevent infections in her charges. Recently, Tompkins was selected as one of twelve Virginia women selected to be memorialized in bronze monument in Richmond.

The Andersonville Prison Camp

The Andersonville Prison camp, located in Georgia, was designed to hold some 10,000 prisoners of war. By the end of the Civil War, when formal prisoner exchanges had broken down, there were close to 45,000 men in the prison camp, most of whom were either starving or sick. The conditions were as close to a concentration camp as 19th Century Americans could produce. Over 10,000 men are expected to have perished. The only Confederate leader to be put to death for war crimes during the Civil War was the leader the Andersonville prison, Henry Wirz.