Vivandieres During The Civil War

[dawna]

The Role of Vivandieres in the American Civil War

Though non-essential to fighting regiments, vivandieres performed some important functions. The most important was as a nurse. With her cask of spirits or a canteen of water, a vivandiere gave a wounded or sick soldier immediate attention, comparable to a modern triage situation. Some vivandieres were well-armed for self-defense, such as Sarah Taylor, who carried a sword, rifle and pistols. Annie Etheridge carried two pistols, and Marie Tepe was also armed with a pistol. Among the deeds of valor performed by vivandieres were Kady Brownell's actions at the battle of New Bern, where, carrying the colors into battle, Kady ran with the flag to the center of the field to show the Union troops that the 5th Rhode Island was not the enemy.

Often the vivandiere was the wife of a soldier or the daughter of an officer, and the "daughter of the regiment" commanded the respect of soldiers in ways that other types of camp followers could not. A soldier in the 5th Wisconsin wrote of Eliza Wilson:

We have not seen a woman for a fortnight with the exception of the Daughter of the Regiment, who is with us in storm and sunshine. It would do you good to see her trudging along, with or after the regiment, her dark brown frock buttoned tightly around her waist, her what-you-call-ems tucked into her well fitting gaiters, her hat and feather set jauntily on one side, her step firm and assured, for she knows that every arm in our ranks would protect her. Never pouting or passionate, with a kind word for every one, and every one a kind word for her.

Sarah Taylor was captured and paroled sometime after leaving Camp Dick Robinson, and appeared in this article in the Memphis Daily Appeal on July 18, 1863:

Sallie Taylor, "La Fille due Regiment." This notorious (beautiful, though she was) woman arrested, as our readers will remember, some months ago, and discharged upon her parole, has kept herself quiet recently, when, as we are informed, she so far captivated, if not captured, a private in Cobb's battery stationed at Clinton, as to induce him to steal the horse of one of the lieutenants of his company and to escape with her into Kentucky, where she may resume in propria personnae her nom de plume of "Daughter of the 1st (Bird's) Tennessee regiment." – Knoxville Register.

Not all of those who wore the uniform of vivandieres were respectable, however. According to Kenneth Olsen, author of Music and Muskets:

Not all vivandiere[s] were as pure in heart as the fair Marie. The unofficial ministrations of a vivandiere attached to a New York regiment eventually got the generous lady into trouble. She was given the option of leaving the area quietly or being drummed from the camp. She elected the easy way out.

Vivandieres seem to have been a more common sight during the first two years of the war, when fighting was sporadic and the armies spent much time in camps. As the war progressed and campaigns covered longer distances, there is less evidence of vivandieres remaining with the army. Alfred Bellard drew a picture and described a vivandiere, who may have been Marie Tepe, whom he saw in a hospital near Chancellorsville, in May, 1863.19 In September 1864, General Ulysses S. Grant ordered that all women be removed from military camps in his theatre. In the wake of this order, Annie Etheridge was forced to confine her activities to the hospital at City Point, Virginia, despite the endorsements of numerous officers, including the corps commander of the Second Corps. She returned at some point, however, because she was with the 5th Michigan when it mustered out in July 1865.

[jenna]

It was not proper to fire upon a lady and that is often why vivandiers were sent out onto the field to aid a wonded man. If their husband died they had two choices: married someone else, or go home. They were not allowed to generally stay in camp. Often times there would be a gentleman in the unit that would come forward and marry her, because they needed her. She was also often in charge of mending, laundry and cooking.

Viviandier uniforms were mirrored after the mens. They wore the wool jackets, and would wear pants or bloomers. But, to keep her feminitey she wore a knee to calf length skirt, to show that she still was a lady.

Her camp would be normally outside of the men's camp, but near her husbands. She was treated often times very well by the men, and paid very little. Normally less then an infantry man, but they would get paid.

Just a little added info on it.

Jenna