Civil War History - Secession and PoliticsWas it Slavery, or was it States Rights? Perhaps it was the election of Lincoln? What were the real reasons for Southern Secession and what were the political issues in this time of war? Find your answers here in the Secession and Politics Disussion.
Ok guys, a while ago you played a game called rolls reversed. The premis being that if you were a sotherner you would voice for the north, and vice verse. So now I have a twist.
We ladies have heard allot of politics and war and how the generals did this and the soldiers did that and that the politicians did this and that, but a key point of the war has been hugely overlooked, and this may be an area that you boys are unfamiliar with.
So the rule is this: You need to think and respond like a woman! How would you take care of your family? Are you a northern politician's wife, in DC still holding soirees, or a southern woman on your farm by yourself with 5 kids to feed and the army on both sides has just marched right clean thru your garden and taken all that was there. How did you live? And what did you do to make it?
So no manly answers here, and let me tell you, there are enough women on this line that can jump in and let you know if you are right or not.
All for one girls and I can't wait to see what you guys come up with!
Well, jenna, i think you got us in a spot where our expertise is nil and experience worthless!!
However, i will say what i comes out. First off, i don't think this war could have been fought without the women. By that i mean it was by the steadfastness of the women at home, the wives and mothers, sisters and sweethearts who sustained the men away from home. If the women did not see that the men had to go, they would not have gone. It was the womanfolk who provided goods and faith for the men, who cared for the children and the homes and farms. Who had a place for them to come home to and to stand up and offer their lives to defend. And who came to them to care for them- without the nurses and the Sanitary and Christian Commissions, the Ladies Aid Societies, and unaffiliated groups of women to tend wounds and organize much of the hospital and relief efforts, what would losses have been like, let alone morale and the ability to stay in the field to fight this war? As bad as it was, it could only have been hell.
And what could it have been like for the women alone tending the fields with their men gone and off somewhere in the unknown. Surely no life for the faint of heart.
I'm not at all sure i'm answering here in the vein of your premise, jenna. Like most of my ilk, i operate best here influenced by the waggling rolling pin, so a bit of direction along those lines may be the best thing.
__________________ 'It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag'
Umm ladies... I've never been called a gentleman. I'm honored, I think.
I shall attempt to meet your challenge w/ a letter.
Brother,
I am pleased to have received your letter; you are well and only injured in a minor way. Of that I am heartfully glad. The papers say the most terrible things of our fortunes in the war as of yet; your leters revealing the truth of matters are most welcome and I make a point to show them to the men who are too old and too young to serve their country. The waste abouts who are too cowardly or have decided that they are too important to serve the Union I shun. Cousin Celia snubbed the bankers son, I'm certain you remember him as he was the first to call for the crushing of the Rebellion but was noticebly absent when it came time to join the call to arms.
You must tell us more stories of Corporal Steele and his antics as they amuse us immensely. Is it true that all of the families of the South own slaves? I doubt it can be so, but Aunt Rosemary insists it is so.
As you know we are hard set at home to make all of the bills since father died of the palsy. THe monies that we receive from you are a gift as if from god. Your cousins have all left for the War in the last month and their wives and daughters have come from the city to our home in the country. They have helped much with the work about the farm. One of the oxen stepped into a gopher hole and broke a leg, we had no choice but to butcher it. I think I can say without boasting that cousin Celia and I did a good job butchering it ourselves. The butcher has joined the cavalry and his wife is a poor substitute so we did the work ourselves. Alicia and Sarah are quite helpful about the farm. Young Alicia has more enthusiasm around the stock, but she makes every effort to earn her keep. Sarah has been sewing and knitting nearly the day long, she insists that we sell her labor to the drygoods store so that she may earn her keep. It is a pity that her husband died of the fever at Island Number Ten, she mourns constantly. But she is making do for her children; I have told her she can stay with her boys as long as she wishes, the children take great joy in feeding the cattle and helping about the farm. They are to young to understand that they will not again see their father.
However, Aunt Rosemary is another matter entirely. She is not suitably attired for the farm and all but refuses to do anything but act ladylike, she insists on wearing hoops around the house and believes the latest New York fashion must be worn in the country; the mud and manure have done a splendid job of conspiring against her. She refuses to help in the kitchen as she believes such work is beneath her. Mother and her have twice had terrible rows, I believe she will drive mother mad before the month ends.
On Saturday we sit about the stove rolling bandages and knitting socks. We do what we can for the cause and the men in the field who are suffering so; but I fear that working the farm and attempting to keep the farm from the debtors has prevented us from doing all that we might like.
Your sister and mother depend upon the monies you send to us. Despite this we unanimously entreat you to do your duty, do not shirk danger on our account. I know some of the local Copperheads have been writing poisoned letters to the men who are braver than they, trust that letters you receive from me are true and question the honesty of any that bring sad tidings. Your family is healthy and loves you for your sacrifice.
I shall close this short letter with hope and a prayer.
God bless you and keep you safe.
Your sister.
__________________ Few take the trouble to understand or to view the American scene with perspective. And we Americans love to find ourselves guilty of something. However, it is never I who am guilty, but those other Americans, the past or present government or the other political party. Americans almost never find other countries guilty. It is always ourselves or our fancied influence in other countries. Louis L'amour
From the diary of Cornelia Peake McDonald, and afluential woman of Winchester, VA. The tiny town changed hands 72 times during the course of the war. She had to do nothing while her husband was at home. He had come back from a trip abroad with a beautiful piece of pink silk to be made into a dress for a dinner they were hosting for Gen. Jackson. (This was shortly after the war broke out and Jackson began his Shennendoa Campaign.) She thought about having the fine piece of silk made up into a dress for the dinner, but at that time the boycott on imported fabric had begun and she decided to put the yardage away. There would be time later, right? So instead she wore the fine jewlery her husband had brought back. Her husband,Angus McDonald, was one of the first in Winchester to organize a cavalry unit. (hey Dawna, another reason to read the book! Horses!!). His group went to Harpers Ferry and was asigned a unit. She was left to tend to their nine children plus keep tabs on Angus's other children who were grown up, married, and two of his oldest boys joined the Confederate army. Angus has lost his first wife and had remarried Cornelia. They had 9 children, Bess the youngest died at the age of 18 mons. She was left alone to grieve and to barry her child. As the war progressed things became rough. When the town was occupied by Gen. Jackson's forces, things were well, but when the Union came in it turned to the worst. But Cornelia presses on, finding strength within. She would not hear from her husband in months, and rarely did his pay get to her. Her slaves, the 4 that she had, one ran off, and the others stayed for a long time, until the Emancipation, and then they to left. She could not blame them, for they had stayed as long as they could.
So now, this well bred Southern woman, having 2 older boys in the army, one dies before the end of the war in battle, no money, the Union army handing out rations and selling items at the store at inflated prices, her farm being over taken as a hospital for some time, eight children under the age of 14 in the house, no food, no garden for the army has taken it all, and has now built fortifications out the back of her apple orchard, which she is not even allowed to touch or walk thru since it is now the possetion of the Union army, and no contact with her husband. What would she do? How did someone of her stature live? She was use to being the belle of the ball. Put yourself in her position. Life goes on or it ceases to exist. How did it go on? These are some pretty bleak conditions.
I know that the women kept things going. But I know how they did. And how did they feel about the war. I must say that men have an answer for every aspect of battle and war and politics, but how would you have handled a situation like that if you had been a woman? I guess that is where I am going with this. Again, rolls reversed. Can you think like a woman? Look at the conditions of the states and how would they have lived. And don't just give me Cold Mountain answers either. That's too easy, and really not entirely realistic. Think simple. I's love to see how you guys would have done as a woman out there in the 1860's.
Shane,
Bravo. Great letter. Where did it come from, one of your Iowa resourse? But it is great. It does capture what was happening. What would have done in her position? The Aunt would have driven me crazy. With her hoops in the manuer though, that is grand. Do you have more of her letters? Did she get the debters to stop or did she loose the farm? And what would you have done in her shoes?
Jenna, after every event I try to sit down and write a letter from the perspective of the "man next to you in line." I've done this since I stated re-enacting. At one time I had quite a few from the perspective of a soldier, but after a computer virus trashed my old computer... I have less than a dozen. The same virus nearly wiped out my transcribed letters..all but about a dozen and even they were corrupted.
I'm known to write random letters from home for mail call at events; I hand write them and use different methods of putting them in envelopes including using the letter itself as the envelope. Usually I write from the perspective of a worried neighbor, friend or occasionaly a nasty old Copperhead. I try to incorporate something from one of the originals I have read.
This is my first attempt at the perspective of a woman, a challenge. Getting into a womans head... ooooh boy!
__________________ Few take the trouble to understand or to view the American scene with perspective. And we Americans love to find ourselves guilty of something. However, it is never I who am guilty, but those other Americans, the past or present government or the other political party. Americans almost never find other countries guilty. It is always ourselves or our fancied influence in other countries. Louis L'amour
It is a challenge, but given your ability to write with such eloquence and your vast experience as a soldier, perhaps the female perspective will be easier to inhabit than you contemplate.
I am sorry to hear of the sentiments that you lost due to a computer virus (my dilemma of last week) but if you could be persuaded to share your remaining letters, I would be most appreciative.
Shane, it's really not that hard. Here, a man's perspective from a woman's mind:
I am a blacksmith from New York. Thankfully for my family I am a good provider. I make $3.00 a day, which is better then those soldier boys. They only make $13 a month, and have to follow someone else's instruction.And at $3.00 a day I don't have to worry about my babies having shoes or food on their plates. My wife's sister married one of those Rebs last month and I hear tell things are not so well for them right now. Bacons climbed to $1.50 a pound. That's a huge jump from our .05 a pound. Maybe they should have all been pig farmers instead of cotton boys, they wouldn't have a problem then.
Not to say that I am ashamed for not joining up with our boys, but I am needed else where. My wife doesn't complain though. We both know that I am needed here in town. It is convieniant that I am a blacksmith, since the government doesn't want me out in the field either. I'm needed here. A cannon factory here in town has hired additional blacksmiths. Turns out President Linclon needs more cannons, and us blacksmiths know how to make 'em. There are about 200 blacksmiths there, and more will be needed . There is hear say that some of us blacksmiths might be hired on thru the government to man the battery forges. They need us out in the field too, but they don't want us in the fight yet. I suppose if worse comes to worse, they'll call upon us, but at the moment, it doesn't look to be that way, which my wife thanks God for. She is fearfull that they will take me off somewhere. She's never had to worry about much other then take care of the children and cook and clean the house. It's a small house, behind my shop. I have one apprentice, since none of my boys are old enough yet. One of the farm boys doesn't want to be a farmer, so his daddy told him to learn something usefull, and well, we'll always need nails for houses, so his daddy talked to me and we worked out a deal. He'll be living with us until he's learned it all, free of charge, and his meals included. It really isn't hampering us much. But that can all change if the President calls for more men. But they all think this war will be over in less then 3 months. Well, lets hope so.
( information gathered from The Civil War Times magazine, Everyday Life During the Civil War by Michael J. Varhola, and my husband's own research from blacksmith books and journals from the UMBA Assoc. )
A couple of my re-enacting letters are over in the re-enactors forum of the Poke sack... the problem w/ the transcribed originals is they were jumbled together, page breaks and being meshed together created a confusing mess. I wouldn't use them as anything but research starters because of the jumble. I'll try and post another couple letters if I can find them from "mail calls." Here is one that was a favorite at a re-enactment this spring. An Iowa unit has a young lady that masquerades as a man... she is steadily improving her persona.
----
Nate, or should you be called Kitana?
Is the cabinet of Lincoln and his Republican cronies sunk so low as to recruit women to fight for their unjust war? A young lady should be home with her family tending to the kitchen and the children. If your men folk were real men they would be there instead of sending you.
Why would a girl child serve a tyrant like Lincoln? Have you thought what his "noble" goals really might be? Or are you there just to be closer to the men and their sin? Are you proof that LIncoln and his cronies are soliciting women of questionable character to amuse his toadies?
Lincoln shall not win reelection, he lacks the moral character needed for a President of the Union. He shall be deposed and replaced with a proper democrat who will bring an end to this ridiculous war. When that happens what will you do? You will be forced to return to your home in disgrace, not a s a counquering hero but as a pariah. Go home before you are exposed and dishonored. Desert from the wicked home of vice that is the army; do the right thing and be a lady; while you still can.
If I do not hear that you have returned home I shall be forced to write the Colonel of your Regiment and expose you as the woman of low character you have become.
A true Democrat
__________________ Few take the trouble to understand or to view the American scene with perspective. And we Americans love to find ourselves guilty of something. However, it is never I who am guilty, but those other Americans, the past or present government or the other political party. Americans almost never find other countries guilty. It is always ourselves or our fancied influence in other countries. Louis L'amour
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