Concerning Ladies of the Era

[thea_447]

MOBILE REGISTER AND ADVERTISER, July 24, 1861, p. 1, c. 4
In the Choctaw county, Miss., a company of ladies has been organized for some time under the name of "Home Guards," numbering over one hundred. The Vicksburg Sun tells us what they have done as follows:
They have been constantly exercising on horseback and on foot with pistol, shot gun and rifle, and have attained such perfection that we doubt if there is a better drilled company in the country. Each one is almost a Boone with her rifle, and an Amazon in her equestrian skill. We have heard that one lady, (our informant, Gen. T. C. McMackin, could not give us her name,) in shooting at a cross mark, one hundred yards distant, with a rifle, struck the centre five times and broke it three times out of eight shots fired in succession. She had a rest. If any State can beat this, we should like to see it done.

[thea_447]

MOBILE REGISTER AND ADVERTISER, September 1, 1861, p. 1, c. 3
Liberal.--A patriotic lady of Savannah has sent to the editor of the News a handsome cameo set, consisting of bracelet, pin and ear-rings, and a beautiful diamond ring, which she requests him to raffle and devote the proceeds to the soldiers' fund. Not content with this liberal and patriotic gift, she also sends one dollar to pay for a chance in the raffle. Such acts as these show how universal is the feeling of patriotism among our people. It gives us pleasure to record so admirable and praiseworthy an example.

[thea_447]

MOBILE REGISTER AND ADVERTISER, October 22, 1861, p. 2, c. 3
The Clarksville (Tenn.) Chronicle says that quite a rage for closely cropped hair has seized the young ladies of that city. It was suggested that as the war may last, and the boys be gone a long time, the girls want to be able to say when they come back and find them a little antiquated: "Why, when you went away I was a little bit of a thing with short hair!" A pretty good dodge.

[dawna]

Thea:

I am really enjoying these different newspapers clippings regarding the ladies of the Civil War. I think that their courage, strength and spirit was just as great as the soldiers who marched off to war to defend their country.

There is no doubt that the conflict of the Civil War was doublefold and the women who were left behind were equally ravaged and devastated. So many rose to the occasion and their improvisation and tenacity should never be forgotten.

Dawna

[jenna]

http://www.mindspring.com/~tjepsen/civilwar.htm

This link is to a site dedicated to women telegraphers. Our group has a telegraph office and post office that would have been jobs that women had during the Civil War. Again a case of keeping the homefront going while the men were away from home.

[thea_447]

MEMPHIS DAILY APPEAL [ATLANTA, GA], June 9, 1863, p. 2, c. 8

A *****y Girl.--A letter in a Northern paper says: "One of the houses destroyed by the Queen of the West on her trip down the Mississippi belonged to an old gentleman, who, with his two sons and daughters, carried on the farm and worked the negroes. One of the young ladies admitted that her brother had fired on the Queen of the West, and only wished that he had been a dozen. She abused the colonel and berated the Federals. When she discovered that her abuse failed to move Colonel Ellett, just as the flames began to circle around the house top, she sang, in a ringing, defiant tone of voice, the "Bonnie Blue Flag," until forest and river echoed and re-echoed.

[thea_447]

MEMPHIS DAILY APPEAL [ATLANTA, GA], June 11, 1863, p. 2, c. 6

The Arrest of Miss Hozier at Norfolk.

The arrest of Miss Hozier at Norfolk, with a plan of the fortifications there, and a full statement of the Federal forces and their position, has been published. The young lady lives a few miles this side of Suffolk, and had been to Norfolk on a visit. The Norfolk correspondent of the Philadelphia Inquirer gives some interesting particulars of the arrest:
As she was embarking upon the noon train from here for her home, she was accosted by several members of the provost guard, who informed her that her presence was immediately needed at the headquarters. She replied that she had been there, and was furnished with a pass to proceed home. This was so; but it was merely a ruse by which to entrap other guilty parties. She refused to accompany the guard or leave the car, maintaining that the right to go home had been guaranteed her. The excitement was beginning to run high, when one of the guards reminded her that if she did not comply peaceably she would be taken at all hazards, even if force had to be used. This seemingly cooled the high spirit of the lady, and she yielded, though with apparent reluctance. She was disarmed of her parasol, a most important trophy, which was the silent and positive witness of traitorous persons' doings. It, with its fair owner, was delivered to the proper authorities.
She underwent a strict examination, and the parasol a strict dissection. Ingeniously concealed in the handle was a long compressed roll of thin paper, upon which was an extremely minute description of our forces, with the exact number at each point, the best modes of entrance and exit, by which certain captures could be made. Localities were marked down, fortifications traced and enumerated. The number of Monitors and gunboats in the localities were spoken of and it was asserted that the Union forces at Suffolk would shortly abandon that place and fall back within a short distance of Norfolk. The movement of troops in the vicinity of West Point was given in considerable detail. A drawing of the country accompanied the letter. The roads, streams, etc., were marked with great precision. Everything was mentioned with great accuracy and very minutely. The information would have been of untold value to the rebels, and it seems extremely strange how so much could be obtained so correctly by the abettors of our enemies.

[thea_447]

(Excuse me friends, if I repeat myself on this one. It is hard to remember months back what I have posted. I certainly don't mean to inundate you with things you have seen before. My interest here is to show what these women were up to. They weren't idly sitting by with their lily white hands in their laps.)

MONTGOMERY WEEKLY ADVERTISER, March 19, 1862, p. 2, c. 7

Spirit of the Nashville Ladies.

So long as the ladies of Nashville exhibit the spirit indicated by the two following incidents, which were procured from an entirely reliable source, we can never despair:

When Gen. McCook, of the Lincoln army, arrived in Nashville, he sent up his card with the request that he might renew his former acquaintance with Miss S. McNairy. The following was the patriotic reply of the noble and accomplished lady, written upon the back of the card:
"Sir: I do not desire to renew any acquaintance with the invaders of my State!"
Two other Hessian officers obtruded their presence into the parlor of Dr. Martin, and sent up their cards to his daughter, Miss Bettie Martin, an elegant and accomplished young lady, requesting also the renewal of an old acquaintanceship. Repairing to the parlor, with a look of ineffable scorn and contempt, she dashed the cards into their faces, and said: "Your absence, Sirs, will be much better company to me than your presence."
Tennesseans, are you not proud of your women? Will not these noble responses nerve your arms in the hour of battle?
[Knoxville Register.]

[thea_447]

(Please forgive me if I have used this one before. I've submitted so many of these that sometimes it is hard for me to keep track.)

MONTGOMERY WEEKLY ADVERTISER, March 19, 1862, p. 3, c. 1

A Patriotic Lady.

One of our best known gentlewomen—born, we believe, near or within this city—in sending a portion of money to this office, accompanied it with the following note. She has come of a brave race of true Southerners, and it is not strange, therefore, that her heart and life, if need be, are in this work. Such words ought to inspire our people:
"Think nothing of the delay, but remember that if times are hard with our men, how much harder for widows. Our only comfort in making so many sacrifices is that we had rather die than yield to Lincoln's government. Every foot of this land is dear to me, and I say contend for every inch of its precious soil; sacred to the memory of grandparents, parents and husband, for they all rest quietly under the sod of Alabama where I hope to rest with my children by my side. May God keep the unhallowed feet of the enemy from ever touching this sacred spot. I have not a doubt of our final success and victory—but, oh! we may wade through a sea of blood; but then we will have the comfort to know that we bought our children's liberty at a price, not with money, but blood. Truly, Lincoln acts upon the principle, annihilate or subjugate!—May the Ruler of the Universe touch his Pharoachic heart ere he turns him and his army into this sea of blood."—Mobile Advertiser.

[thea_447]

MONTGOMERY WEEKLY ADVERTISER, October 8, 1862, p. 1, c. 5
Gov. Milton, of Florida, announces to the ladies of that gallant little State, the heroism of whose men is only equaled by the patriotism of its women, that a sufficient quantity of good homespun has been purchased to make substantial shirts and drawers for the soldiers of Florida. "These articles of clothing," says the Governor "are much needed by them. Upon the application of an agent appointed by any Society of ladies in the State, the quantity of cloth which the Society can have made immediately, will be issued to the agent. No appeal to the Ladies of Florida for their aid in the maintenance of the existing war is deemed necessary. The brightest page in the future history of the Confederate States will distinguish the Ladies of the South for their patriotism, courage and duty.

MONTGOMERY WEEKLY ADVERTISER, October 8, 1862, p. 1, c. 7
The Savannah News learns that the Yankee commandant at St. Augustine, Florida, has compelled all women and children in the town, whose near relatives are in the Confederate service to leave. They were taken on board a steamer prepared for the purpose, without any idea of their destination.