The Barry/Bradford Family

There were many brave women who beleived ine the union cause. One of the most well know female spies was Elizebeth Van Lew. She lived in the South but had northern veiws. Elizabeth R. Varon a reporter at The New york times wrote “As she watched a secessionist procession snake through the streets of Richmond in the wake of Virginia’s vote to join the Confederacy, she knew the time for compromise had passed. “Such a sight!” Van Lew wrote. “The multitude, the mob, the whooping, the tin-pan music, and the fierceness of a surging, swelling revolution. This I witnessed. I thought of France and as the procession passed, I fell upon my knees under the angry heavens, clasped my hands and prayed, ‘Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.’”

In addition to all the roles patriotic women played in helping America emerge victorious, one of the biggest methods was nursing. Battle nurses were organized into army ranks, the highest rank having been ‘matron’. Their necessity was so that the ratio for wounded soldiers to nurses was 10:1. Even George Washington himself had found female nurses indispensable--he demanded they be present to help nurse soldiers back to health on and off the battlefield (National History Education Clearinghouse).

They opened up their homes to the wounded, raised money for and provided food and clothing to the Army. There are even several recorded instances of women serving as spies or soldiers in disguise. Most of the active participants however, were in the form of what was called "camp followers". While some of these were women were prostitutes, many others were wives, daughters and mothers of soldiers who followed the Army because they were unable to support themselves after their men left for war. They served the Continental Army as nurses, cooks, laundresses, and water bearers. These women became the earliest American examples of women who supported the military to "free a man to fight" as they performed jobs usually done by male soldiers.

During the Civil War, women helped soldiers by rolling bandages and creating care packages, as well as assisting in other small, though vital, tasks. World War I followed this pattern. But never had women’s aid included assisting with tasks traditionally accomplished by men, until World War II. Women had been told all through the Great Depression, “Let the men have the jobs! Stay at home!” and women, for the most part, had listened. Now, suddenly, the men were

Many people question if women went into the war because of patriotism or because they lacked other opportunities. Women responded to the call differently depending on age, race, class, marital status, and number of children. They switch from lower-paying female jobs to higher-paying factory jobs. While patriotism influenced women,

Mary Surratt’s position pointed out the changing roles of women in society, particularly during the Civil War where women not only served as nurses but also as soldiers, spies, abolitionists, wearing pants in public. Women particularly working in espionage posed a dilemma for Union soldiers and federal officials. Did they treat them like they would a man? Or did they deserve special treatment because of their

When the American Civil War began on April 12th, 1861, over 3 million Union and Confederate soldiers prepared for battle. Men from all over America were called upon to support their side in the confrontation. While their battles are well documented and historically analyzed for over a hundred years, there is one aspect, one dark spot missing in the picture: the role of women in the American Civil War. From staying at home to take care of the children to disguising themselves as men to fight on the battlefield, women contributed in many ways to the war effort on both sides. Though very few women are recognized for their vital contributions, even fewer are

Where many found jobs as nurses, many women ended up spies for the opposing side of the war. People wouldn’t expect women to even make such a move as imposing and threating as aiding in the war. Small pox and other diseases took over the state in 1864 causing over 700 fatalities. Although these events were happening, the people of the coast hoped to end the war and mainly focused on that aspect. Lincoln’s re-election worried many southerners and when the new reached the coast, they then realized that a Union victory and an end to the war were in the near future.

In “Letters of a Civil War Nurse”, written in 1863, Cornelia Hancock’s account of the Civil War gives readers an account of the suffering and hardship of soldiers through the point of view of an Union nurse. This document written by Cornelia Hancock is an account as a nurse who went through the Battle of Gettysburg and the after effects. Through a series of letters written to her loved ones, Cornelia wrote what nurses went through during the times of war. At the time women were expected to be good wives; with Cornelia Hancock’s effort she was able to help soldiers and contribute to the idea that women are capable of much more than being good wives; women can be apart of war. With her background as a Quaker and her family history, Cornelia Hancock was able to contribute greatly to the war effort even though she was originally denied to becoming an union nurse.

The most important job that women had done was become spies in this battle. It has been recorded that hundreds of women served as spies for the Confederate and Union armies in the Civil War. The women were able to receive valuable military information by flirting with a lot of soldiers at parties, dinners, and other types of social events. They had also used charm to grab the attention of the men and kept them in almost like a trance, because of their beauty and other characteristics, to fool the men into giving the ladies what they wanted. Coming from the source of civilwarsaga.com, it discusses how one confederate spy, named Emeline Pigott, gathered information by inviting guests to her home and providing entertainment. Pigott

Historical narrative nonfiction writer, Karen Abbott presented her lecture entitled “Civil War Female Spies” on March 22, 2016. She is a New York Times bestselling author of Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy, which was named one of the best books of 2014 by Library Journal, the Christian Science Monitor, and Amazon, and was optioned by Sony for a miniseries. She has written for the New York Times Book Review, the Wall Street Journal, Smithsonian magazine, Salon and other publications, making her a very distinguished expert in her field. In her lecture, Abbott discussed the achievements of four female spies that had major contributions in the war.

The role of women during the Civil War is one that is often misinterpreted and misunderstood. Traditionally, women were expected to either keep their homes while their husbands were away. If anything, they were able to work as nurses. However, many women would defy these standards. Defying stereotypes, these women would take on jobs that no one had dared take on before. Women were expected to be proper and maintain the house while men were gone. The women of the Civil War would challenge these stereotypes in a large way, defying everything that was seen as “the norm”. Although women were not legally allowed to participate in combat during the Civil War, they still made significant contributions on and off the battlefield, and without these contributions the war would have been very different.

The Civil War was roaring on, men were fighting on the bloodied battlefields, but they were not the only ones that were fighting in the line of duty. Many women served in combat on both sides during the Civil War, stood up for their selves placing their lives at risk for patriotism, independence and to prove that they had hearts as strong as men. However, the war might have been distractive, but it helped strengthen the pride of women along with new experiences outside those of home.

“Like women throughout the South, they formed aid societies to provide soldiers with socks, undergarments, shirts, gloves, blankets, shoes, comforters, handkerchiefs, scarves, bandages, and food” (Tendrich 1). By forming these aid societies, women were able to save the lives of many soldiers because without certain items, the soldiers would not have been able to survive. Finally, many women practiced espionage to gather important information from the opposing team. “Accurate information about the enemies’ plans and movements, their troop size and supplies, and placement and strength of their fortification was indispensable. Spies could also intercept military dispatches or trick the enemy by spreading false information” (Colman 18). Having women spy on the enemy was extremely useful because if provided the army with information that would help them win many battles.

“Heroes and Heroines of the War” reflected the heart of what it means to be a contributor to society. The men of the North gathered together to bear arms with one another and fight for the reconnection of the nation. The image revealed the bravery of the men and the further need of assistance to win the battle. During this time period, women were considered to be the nurturing and caring person in the household. The U.S. Sanitary Commission allowed women to live up to their potential, but in a wider spectrum. Thomas Nast valued the compassion and the will power that was portrayed in the Sanitary Commission. The document demonstrated the value of women not just becoming a household concept, but spreading to a national level. People of this era