Suicides?

[DWMack65]

I was reading "Lincoln's Melancholy" and it got me thinking. What was the prevalence of suicide during or after the war? I mean obviously there were many cases of PTSD. Are there any statistics regarding suicides as a result of the war on either side? I hat to rain on the parade but I was curious about that. Anyone have and info on it? (Sorry if this is already a topic)

 

[donna]

Suicides during and after wars is an interesting, even though very sad subject. As to Civil War, it has started to be looked into.

A book, "Moments of Despair: Suicide, Divorce, and Debt in Civil War Era North Carolina" by David Silkenat is well worth reading. While focused in one state many*attitudes are common throughout the South. It is a personal look at the South, how the people lived and the effects of the war.

Another book is "Shook Over Hell: Post Traumatic Stress, Vietnam and the Civil War" by Eric T. Dean. There is great review by James M. McPherson at www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/issues/98mar/mindwar.htm

Also historian, Diane Miller Sommerville has been awarded a National Endowment for Humanities Fellowship Award to study Suicide, the South and Civil War. She states that "in examining the personal and social costs of the Civil War in the South, that southern men and Confederate soldiers were constrained by ideas of manhood that are shaped by ideas about courage and honor. It was manly not to acknowledge that you were afraid. By the 20th century, courage is actually knowing that you are scared but are managing it. The 19th century soldier had not yet realized that. This led some soldiers to commit suicide before going off to war, en route to battle or after the fighting".

The Civil War was also harder on southern men than northerners because many returned to destroyed homes, while losing a key source of wealth in slaves. A combination of debt and being unable to provide for their families resulted in suicides.

 

[oldreb1343]

I have read of many accounts of both confederate and union soldiers who killed themselves after the war. The either were huanted by the war or were extreamly lonely.

 

[diane]

What an interesting topic! The American Civil War was where post traumatic stress disorder was first recognized. Dr. Jacob Da Costa was an army surgeon at the 1900s or so, and began to recognize a large number of his patients had a variety of symptoms but no illness he could detect. Irritability, heart palpitations, insomnia, and a whole host of things. As noted, a good many of these men were also troubled by feelings of having been a coward, questions about the morality of the war, being on the losing side and other psychological issues. He was the first to connect it to hard service during the war. It was called Da Costa Syndrome, 'soldier's heart', shell shock, combat fatigue and some other terms until PTSD was arrived at. The disorder had actually been noted as far back as Roman times, particularly so during the Napoleonic wars, but no one had associated it with combat before.

I think there was a really high number of suicides connected with wartime service among the survivors. Major Berry, who led the NC brigade who fired on Stonewall Jackson, committed suicide not long after the war - he had given the order. There were also a large number of soldiers who were committed to asylums and institutions for mental health problems. (A good many were also confined who were not insane but had head injuries or severe chronic pain, like Thomas Benton and William Cushing.) Wonder if there are any statistics to look at for those types of admissions to institutions?

There were also a really big number of men who were addicted to drugs because of their war injuries. Cushing was one of those, which is what led to his being committed. During his famous attack on the Albemarle, he didn't clear the blast and broke his back and hip. It never healed and he was never pain free. The only management for that condition was morphine - he became addicted. Since things like this, drug addiction or alcoholism, etc., were considered moral failings at that time, I think there were men who exited rather than live with that 'failing'. Sometimes I wonder if this is where America's problem with drugs really began.

 

[Historyprof]

One of the problems faced by Civil War veterans suffering from PTSD, depression, etc was that, unlike a physical wound, a mental disorder would have been considered a sign of weakness back then. The veterans would have felt ashamed and kept it to themselves which in some cases led to suicide or addiction.
The only sympathy many of them could find was from fellow veterans, the only ones who could understand what they were going through.

 

[doug rooney]

I feel I can speak directly to this and I don't do it for thanks, sympathy, or anything else. I happen to be a Vietnam Vet as some of you may know. No big deal, I'm NOT just a Vietnam Vet anymore than I'm a former letter carrier, Father, Husband or anything else...I'm just a man who has worn many hats like everyone else in their lives. I also happen to be 100% service connected for PTSD. Have been for 24 years now. Used to hang out a lot on Veteran's Forums but had to stop that. I must respectfully disagree with Historyprof's post above. On the forums, many people (Vietnam Vets!) would call us liars, fakers, malingers, etc and would cite statistics to "prove" there was no higher incidence of suicides by us anymore than the general populace. Their minds were made up and that was that so I left...it was hurtful as they had no idea of the struggles many of us endured for YEARS. It IS REAL cuz I lived it as a walking dead man for 41 years. In my case, I am much better now and becoming a part of society once again due to the intervention of a higher power I choose to call God. NOTHING else worked. Not 25 years of head shrinking, not the meds I still take, NOTHING could free me of the demons except my God. The shrinks and meds kept me on "life support" and am thankful to the VA and those people who kept me alive long enough to see this day! I'm old now at 61 (if ya wanna call that old) but I got some LIVIN to do and that's what I plan on doing for the rest of my days! I can't change what happened or get those 41 years back but that's ok now. It's not really a mental illness in that we are not crazy although we can be a times of increased stress. I have had periods of psychosis and what they call dissociation (mentally back in the war). My only point is that these mental issues are STILL NOT accepted by many, never will be in my lifetime and that's ok too. I know what happened to me and it was real. We seek only empathy. Pity and sympathy does more harm than good and don't need it. I am not weak and I have a theory as to why some are affected as deeply as myself while others who experienced the same things had virtually no post traumatic symptoms. My theory is that it speaks to the sensitivity of the individual. I was a VERY sensitive person...still am and I happen to be PROUD of that now because I care about people while many care only for themselves. I'm on the mend...thank God.