What Life Was Really Like for “Southern Belles” During the Civil War

CMWinkler

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What Life Was Really Like for “Southern Belles” During the Civil War

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Modern-day debate over the Confederacy centers on the dangerous myths upheld by things like the Confederate battle flag, which is used both as a racist symbol and a beacon of a “simpler” Southern society by its proponents today. So…what was life really like for Southern belles before and during the war?

More: http://daily.jstor.org/life-really-like-southern-belles-civil-war/
 
Eh, while I'm sure a few of the noble aristocracy waged war, the vast vast majority of young dead Confederate men had as much chance of being some belle's "eligible suitor" as I have of being named "Sexiest Man Alive" next year.

Which trust me is...not a whole lot :-E

Your post made me think of John Bell Hood's failed pursuit of Richmond "Belle" Sally Preston.
 
I'm sure some belles found out the real realities of life, when the money was gone, as was the property. I bet they shook up a lot of them. The bottom rail was truly on top now. Some, very few found someone else with cash. Having to work was probably a shock to many, and having to take care of themselves for once. Few if any servants. A lot of maimed ex soldiers about. the daily reminders of the new realities.
 
I have read that one in 13 Confederate soldiers returned home missing limbs. Ministers, politicians and society at-large reminded Southern women that it was their patriotic duty to marry disabled veterans. The “limping soldier,” argued the president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, should be treated as aristocracy after the war: “To the young ladies I would say when choosing between an empty sleeve and the man who had remained at home and grown rich, always take the empty sleeve.”
 
I'm sure some belles found out the real realities of life, when the money was gone, as was the property. I bet they shook up a lot of them. The bottom rail was truly on top now. Some, very few found someone else with cash. Having to work was probably a shock to many, and having to take care of themselves for once. Few if any servants. A lot of maimed ex soldiers about. the daily reminders of the new realities.
Isn't that the premise of "Gone With the Wind"?
 
Well "Fiddle Dee" What an interesting thread but unfortunately I don't know nothing about berthing no babies but look forward to seeing what pops up:rofl:
 
My daughter didn't watch Gone with the Wind until last year and I had to bribe her to sit with Hubby and I and watch it. After swooning over the dresses and fluff, I then said, "OK, now let's talk about the REAL Southern women in our history and what it means to be one today."
 
My daughter didn't watch Gone with the Wind until last year and I had to bribe her to sit with Hubby and I and watch it. After swooning over the dresses and fluff, I then said, "OK, now let's talk about the REAL Southern women in our history and what it means to be one today."

Good for your daughter! I had a grandmother with sisters born at the start of the 20th century in the South. They were remarkable people. Their aunt was born in the 19th to a surviving member of Hood's Texas Brigade. Aunt Dale lived into the 1980s.

These women were lovely and tough! Anyone who tells you different doesn't know what he or she is talking about.
 
It's easy to be reactive and instantly jump to all the reasons the ' belle ' should be dismissed. To say what they experienced was less valid than another woman's war experience is to re-write History. Why? This comes up a lot. Hand's down, a poor black Southern citizen or poor white had a tougher time. Education and class would have been very helpful, starting over, certainly. Still, boy, are we missing their front row seats to history denying they were there. What an injustice to women in the war assuming what their experience was. Women shared this war.

Why did losing one's husband or son, brother or father mean less to a belle? Why did losing one's entire home and hope for the future they'd known since birth? Like it or not, that was their world as they knew it. Some of these women lived in the woods and caves in Vicksburg, surviving the war We'll never know all the stories but if we just shut the door to them based on stereotypes, seems to me we've gone backwards quite a few decades.
 
I have read that one in 13 Confederate soldiers returned home missing limbs. Ministers, politicians and society at-large reminded Southern women that it was their patriotic duty to marry disabled veterans. The “limping soldier,” argued the president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, should be treated as aristocracy after the war: “To the young ladies I would say when choosing between an empty sleeve and the man who had remained at home and grown rich, always take the empty sleeve.”


Well, I'm torn between the great sentiment and a little annoyed Davis came up with it? Not at all arguing with you. It's Davis being dismissive on the topic of men who stayed home and got rich. During the Bread Riots, Davis gave the starving soldiers' wives the old ' suck it up for cause ' speech. Rich men held stores of goods, driving up prices, too. Women found out about them- mad? Well, hence riots. Men away at war, only NC continuing a program for feeding soldier's families, women reacted. Davis gave a famous speech, saving the wealthy mens' goods and shaming the women.

I hope someone threw a potato at him.
 
What about life for the southern "non belles" before and after the war? The 95% of southern women, such as Sarah Anders (played by Patricia Clarkson) in the movie Pharaoh's Army?

I believe life for them was much harder after the war than the "Belles."
I believe you are right. I wish there was more information about what life was like for most southern women during the war and after. I think one reason why so little is known about them is because many of them could not read or write therefore,, they did not leave any journals behind.
 
It's easy to be reactive and instantly jump to all the reasons the ' belle ' should be dismissed. To say what they experienced was less valid than another woman's war experience is to re-write History. Why? This comes up a lot. Hand's down, a poor black Southern citizen or poor white had a tougher time. Education and class would have been very helpful, starting over, certainly. Still, boy, are we missing their front row seats to history denying they were there. What an injustice to women in the war assuming what their experience was. Women shared this war.

Why did losing one's husband or son, brother or father mean less to a belle? Why did losing one's entire home and hope for the future they'd known since birth? Like it or not, that was their world as they knew it. Some of these women lived in the woods and caves in Vicksburg, surviving the war We'll never know all the stories but if we just shut the door to them based on stereotypes, seems to me we've gone backwards quite a few decades.

Bravo!!
Excellent comment, @JPK Huson 1863 !
 
So, I did some sleuthing. Mickey Kuhn (b. 1932) played Beau Wilkes in GWTW is still with us. Possibly some uncredited actors still alive. http://www.imdb.com/list/ls038381152/
Thanks for your response.
It appears that there is at least one more survivor, Patrick Curtis, who played the Wilkes' baby. He was uncredited.
I wonder if any of the film crew survive?
 
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