JPK Huson 1863
Brev. Brig. Gen'l
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2012
- Location
- Central Pennsylvania
A Crimean War illustration ' Vivandier ' and how it all began.
It never pays to assume This is especially true pursuing topics relating to the American Civil War.
Quite a few ' Spunk Girl ' variety articles from early in the war
As Sumter disappeared behind and beneath that blinding artillery barrage, ' Patriotism ' swept a red, white and Bonnie Blue tidal wave, North and South. Enlistments soared, bands trilled and thrilled, banners fluttered behind ponderous cheeked politicians and jaunty Zouaves stepped off, rank by rank. To war. 1861. In their wake equally jaunty, waving, much celebrated, vested, canteen-ed and putt-eed, Viviandier.
I've never been able to track her down. She seems the genuine, real, honest to goodness article.
Lavina Williams, another Louisiana Tiger. This regiment's women marched with them- how in heck else did one Vivandier become arrested in Virginia?
Vivandier, as other threads explain, were women and girls of many feathers. As with their male counterparts, Zouave combatants, the uniforms were holdovers from the Crimean War. This uniform and romantic take on both soldier-wear and a woman's role in one took strong hold in the American psyche. Despite few stories of fame, it appears quite a few women did indeed march off to war in this guise. Our most famous are of course French Mary Tepe followed by Louisiana Tiger Helen Voskius ( arrested in Virginia for dressing like a man ) followed by Kady Brownell. Despite some notion 'glamour' attached to Vivandiere, these women could and did function as front line nurses to shattered soldiers and experienced battle in all its gruesome ' glory '.
AKA ' Daughter of the Regiment ', she would have been one of these. It all got a little fuzzy in places. No canteen or puttees, for that matter.
Crimea again. Our women ditched the aprons.
Some went home; others became nurses post-1861, supposedly except for our famous exceptions ' Vivandier ' no longer made the news except as heroines in increasingly popular plays. BUT. Wrong again. Letters and newspaper articles show us Tepe had company. Vivandier hung around.
1864, Ohio newspaper
It was pretty cool, dolls for little girls were produced which allowed them to see these women as heroines
Eliza Wilson was the daughter of a wealthy merchant- she's seen elsewhere marching, having traveled with the regiment. No idea if she went on campaign. That is more than romance regardless.
Envelopes, to use during the war featured our Vivandier aiding soldiers. This was at least a glimpse of what their world could be. Not romantic. And as shown, it seems quite a few committed to this life for as long as soldiers needed them.