"To serve the Cause"

[CSA Today]

"When Virginia seceded, the townspeople went into a mass celebration. The young men were in a frenzy to join the militias to serve the Cause. The romance of war became a fever, and the women encouraged that fever.

There is a story that is told among historians of Winchester, that is probably from oral history, since no one can find the source. One young man was reluctant to join a local militia unit. Some of the younger women in town had a gift package delivered to his home. When he opened the package it contained a pair of ladies bloomers with frills and lace. Lying on top of the pantaloons was a note that read, "If you don't sign up to fight, you might as well put these on. The next day the young gentlemen joined the militia.

Throughout the War the Secessionist women encouraged their men to continue fighting for the Southern Cause. Even during the Union occupations, many smuggled letters to their "boys" and also smuggled contraband goods such as sugar, coffee, fabrics, thread and needles from Baltimore into Winchester not so much for civilian use, but to feed and clothe the Confederate sick and wounded. "
Taken from an article by Virginia R. Bensen
http://emergingcivilwar.com/author-biographies/virginia-r-bensen/

 

[Lnwlf]

Thanks for posting this CSA Today. I am always happy to see people share things from Emerging Civil War with us here. The passage you shared can be found at:
http://emergingcivilwar.com/2011/11/30/the-women-of-winchester-virginia/

It is the first part of a series written by Virginia Benson and rather well done.

 

[leftyhunter]

"When Virginia seceded, the townspeople went into a mass celebration. The young men were in a frenzy to join the militias to serve the Cause. The romance of war became a fever, and the women encouraged that fever.

There is a story that is told among historians of Winchester, that is probably from oral history, since no one can find the source. One young man was reluctant to join a local militia unit. Some of the younger women in town had a gift package delivered to his home. When he opened the package it contained a pair of ladies bloomers with frills and lace. Lying on top of the pantaloons was a note that read, "If you don't sign up to fight, you might as well put these on. The next day the young gentlemen joined the militia.

Throughout the War the Secessionist women encouraged their men to continue fighting for the Southern Cause. Even during the Union occupations, many smuggled letters to their "boys" and also smuggled contraband goods such as sugar, coffee, fabrics, thread and needles from Baltimore into Winchester not so much for civilian use, but to feed and clothe the Confederate sick and wounded. "
Taken from an article by Virginia R. Bensen
http://emergingcivilwar.com/author-biographies/virginia-r-bensen/

Southern women also wrote many letters later in the war to encourage their men to desert because there was no food at home and they where threatened by deserter/bandit gangs.
Leftyhunter