Myths and Misconceptions about vivandieres.
"...In the last few years, several sources have been written about vivandieres during the Civil War containing a number of myths and anecdotal stories of vivandieres, which have not been adequately documented. Among these misconceptions is the tendency to equate vivandieres with women who served in the army disguised as soldiers. Nothing could be further from the truth. Vivandieres or cantinieres made no effort to disguise their sex;
nor were they "enlisted" as soldiers in their respective regiments. They were clearly and quite obviously women who adopted an obviously feminine role within a military organization.
A number of women in official or quasi-official capacities with the army
adopted costumes similar to that of vivandieres; yet their function was not that of vivandiere. Dr. Mary Walker, Loretta Valesques, Madame Turchin, and
others wore "uniforms" similar to that of vivandieres, with short skirts worn over trousers; however, these individuals performed different functions and cannot be classed as vivandieres in the strict sense of the term. Others, such as Belle Reynolds, were officially recognized as "daughters of the regiment" in recognition of their services to soldiers in the regiments commanded by their husbands,
although their primary assistance was rendered after battles in hospitals.
Finally, the recent fascination with vivandieres has prompted a number of publications and commentaries which have incorrectly cited "the regulations of 1865" as proof that vivandieres were established military functionaries in the United States Army. The United States Army did not publish a set of regulations in 1865, and
vivandieres were never given an established post in American armies..."
From the online article,
The Daughter of the Regiment: A Bried History of Vivandieres and Cantinieres in the American Civil War.
To view all of the article, go to the following website:
http://ehistory.osu.edu/uscw/features/articles/0005/vivandieres.cfm
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