Civil War Women
Social Studies Assignments

 At the Greater Capital Region Teacher Center's resource library, all of the documents can be found in their edited forms.  However, due to the possibility of copyright issues, only links to the documents will be provided below.  Explanations of what parts of the documents were used will also be provided.

Secession Document

Source:

 http://www.assumption.edu/WHW/old/secession_women_in_arms.html

The title of this document and the three paragraphs about the roles of women were used.

 Background:

 Although the specific date of this piece of writing cannot be pinpointed, it is believed that it was created shortly after South Carolina seceded in 1860.  The events recounted above did not actually occur.  In fact, the piece was intended as humor.  However, many women viewed it as homage to patriotic Confederate women.

 Questions"

1. According to this document, what were women willing to do for the South Carolina military?
2. Do you think women from this time period really would have done this?
3. Why was it impossible for the events explained in this document to have actually happened?

Female Soldiers Document

Source: 

http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1993/spring/women-in-the-civil-war-1.html

The photographs of  Frances Clayton and the quotation by the woman from the Sanitation Commission were used.

Background: 

There is no official count of the number of women who fought as soldiers during the Civil War.  Although it was illegal, many women disguised themselves as men to fight for both the Union and the Confederacy.

 Questions:

1.  Why might women have secretly joined the military?

2.  How could they have been discovered to be women?

First Battle of Bull Run Document  

Source: 

http://womenshistory.about.com/library/etext/bl_bullrun_001a.htm

Note:  This material is originally from Emma Edmond’s memoir, Nurse and Spy in the Union Army:  The Adventures and Experiences of a Woman in Hospitals, Camps, and Battlefields, which is in the public domain.

The illustration of Emma Edmonds and the sections titled "Water for the Wounded" and "Wounded at Centerville" were used.

Historical Background:

Emma Edmonds, like many women in the Civil War, was a nurse and a spy.  In her memoir she tells about many of her experiences during the war.

Questions for "Water for the Wounded"

1.      What dangers did Emma Edmunds face on the battlefield?

2.      What was Edmunds told to do on the battlefield?  What was she told not to do?  Why?

3.      What did Edmunds do when Colonel Cameron died?  Why didn’t she do more?  

Questions for "Wounded at Centerville":

1.      What kinds of wounds did Edmunds see in Centerville ?

2.      What are two things she did for the wounded soldiers?

3.      What else might Edmunds do in her job as a nurse?  

Early Years of the War Document  

Source:  

http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/greenhow/1863-07-16/1863-07-16.html

Note:  The original letter is housed in the Special Collections Library at Duke University .

 Greenhow's letter to the President dated July 16th was the focus of this document.  The paragraph on Beauregard was used.

Background:   

Rose O’Neal Greenhow was a highly successful and influential Confederate spy.   This letter is an excellent example of how important she was.  She is writing to the Confederate President, Jefferson Davis, about discussions she had with the most important Confederate General,  Robert E. Lee.

Questions:

1.      In her letter to President Jefferson Davis, what does Rose O’Neal Greenhow tell about General Beauregard?

2.      What does Greenhow tell him about Mr. Riply?

3.      What does Greenhow say about her sources of information?

4.      Why did Greenhow have this relationship with the President?

  Antietam Document  

Source:   

http://www.civilwarhome.com/womanantietam.htm

Note:  The original source for this document is A Woman’s Recollections of Antietam by Mary Bedinger Mitchell.  It is in the public domain.

The paragraph beginning with "No surgeons were to be seen," and the paragraph immediately following it were used.           

Background: 

 Mary Bedinger Mitchell was present in Antietam during the Civil War battle that took place there.  It was the bloodies one day battle of the war, and Mitchell recounts some of the roles that women played in the wake of this battle.

Questions:  

1.      What role did women play in the aftermath of the battle of Antietam ?

2.      Give two specific details about what women did.

3.      Were women important to the Civil War effort?  Explain why or why not?

Early Battles Document

Source:

http://cwnurses.tripod.com/mtepe.html

Note:  More details on the source of the photograph are unavailable.

 The photograph of Marie Brose Tepe as well as the quotations by Frank Rauscher and the soldier at Chancelorville were used.

Background:

Marie Tepe was a vivandière, who was a woman during the Civil War who traveled with soldiers and sold them provisions, acted as nurses, and sometimes fought in battle.  She personally played a number of roles during the Civil War, including nurse and soldier.

 Questions:  

1. What adjectives could be used to describe Marie Tepe?
2. What did she do on battlefields?
3. What evidence is there of her courage?
4. How was she recognized for her courage?

Gettysburg Document  

Source:  

http://www.virtualgettysburg.com/exhibit/monuments/feature.html

 The photograph of the Gettysburg Women's Memorial and the first two paragraphs of the document were used.

Background:

Many women were part of the Civil War effort for both the Union and Confederate forces.  In 2002, the Gettysburg Civil War Women’s Memorial was dedicated in honor of all of these women.

Questions:       

1.  What is the purpose of the Civil War Women’s Memorial?

2.  What is the story of Elizabeth Thorn, who is featured in the Civil War Women’s Memorial?

3.  What does the existence of such a memorial say about the role of women in the Civil War?

Sherman’s March to the Sea Document  

Source:  

http://docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/burge/lunt.html

Note:  Published in 1918, this was printed in A Woman’s Wartime Journal and written by Dolly Sumner Lunt.  This work is the property of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill . It may be used freely by individuals for research, teaching and personal use as long as this statement of availability is included in the text.

 The journal entries from July 24, 1864 and July 29, 1864 were used.

Background:  

Dolly Sumner Lunt kept a journal during the time of Sherman ’s March to the Sea, recording the effects this campaign had on Southern civilians.  The full text of her journal provides an even clearer portrait of Southern life during Sherman ’s March. 

Questions:

1.  Why would Union troops want to destroy Southern railroads?
2.  Why would they want to destroy Southerners’ private property and steal everything they could find from Southerners?
3.  What effect did the actions of the Union soldiers have on women in the South?
4.  The author of this journal asked, “Is this they way to make us love them and their Union ?”  Do you think the Union was trying to win the South’s love?  Explain your answer.

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