Probably an interesting story behind this

SWMODave

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no women there goes the camp.jpg
 
Someone was always kicking women out of camp. This might be what it seems but have ( somewhere ) another order saying the same thing, then going on to specify officer's wives. Forget exactly how it's phrased- something along the lines of the severe penalties imposed on husbands if wives were around the camp.

Also a prejudice against female nurses ( obviously didn't last long ). This surprised me when first coming across it, seems to have been a huge point of contention in some places. Date of this, 1861 it would have been around. Can't be sure of the date, one of Dix's nurses spoke of being taken by Dix to a DC hospital, 1862, to serve there. She said Dix emphasized how professional she had to be because she'd be the first female allowed there.
 
Florence Nightingale was given a really hard time too, but she persevered. By that I mean that she basically told the men to stick it, because they were useless. Helps when you have some political pull (from Daddy) and can afford to go your own way. Men have always been so afraid of women stepping into their perceived space, afraid of us no doubt, that it was and is often an uphill climb to get things done.
 
Florence Nightingale was given a really hard time too, but she persevered. By that I mean that she basically told the men to stick it, because they were useless. Helps when you have some political pull (from Daddy) and can afford to go your own way. Men have always been so afraid of women stepping into their perceived space, afraid of us no doubt, that it was and is often an uphill climb to get things done.


Well, and it's funny- the exceptions through the war ( guessing other wars, too, haven't looked into the subject ) were our Sisters. They were called and came quite early, and just showed up, too. Not a peep, nothing but deserved ' thank you's ' and praise. I can't find it, anyway. I don't know. Non-Catholics displayed the same respect, sometimes awe for these women as Catholics- it's quite lovely to read accounts.
 
I cannot imagine the love and inner strength it took for a woman to follow her husband into battle. Aside from professional nurses, did the wives' presence in battle cause worry for a husband, and distraction from his duty, more so than her assistance in camp? An officer had to make that call.
 
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