Civilians of the Civil War
Introduction
With most of the brutal conflict having occurred on the battlefield, it is easy to see why many historical records lack information on a key component of American history: civilian life during the Civil War. However, it is crucial to understand that the impact of this war reached far beyond the battlefield and into civilian life. The war affected not only the Confederate and Union soldiers, but even the people outside the war such as women and families of the soldiers. Regardless of how distant American civilians were from the battlefields, they were certainly not spared from the devastating incidents of war. The following artifacts were selected to convey the extent of the Civil War’s destructive results on American families. Because certain aspects of civilian life varied throughout the United States, these artifacts portray life for people of both the North and the South.
[Header photo from: http://www.cowanauctions.com/auctions/item.aspx?ItemId=6384]
Photos and Artifacts
This photograph shows white women outside of their home after a battle. In the background is the destruction and the aftermath of the war. It was chosen in order to portray that war is not a foreign concept as most people back then had believed. It disrupted everyday life, and had a big impact on everyone.
Photo from:
http://virginiahumanities.org/2011/12/the-american-civil-war-in-virginia/
Photo from:
http://virginiahumanities.org/2011/12/the-american-civil-war-in-virginia/
This is a photograph of a family of refugees with their wagons, preparing to leave their home in order to escape the war. It was chosen to represent the dangers of the Civil War and its destructive effects on white individuals and families from the North.
Photo from:
http://www.civilwarlife.org/
Photo from:
http://www.civilwarlife.org/
This photo is of the shell-damaged civilian Potter house from Georgia after being caught in the midst of a battle. It like the previous photo, contributes to the idea that war was everywhere, It wasn't always out on an empty field, and it often moved to incorporate cities and towns that had no intentions to join the war.
Photo from:
http://712educators.about.com/blcwphthecity4.htm
Photo from:
http://712educators.about.com/blcwphthecity4.htm
The photo shown on the left shows civilians working on a railroad. It shows how everyone had to make sacrifices during the war. Certain jobs became mandatory to finish in order to win the war, and other, more ordinary jobs became unnecessary luxuries. Women, children, and men were all affected, regardless of whether or not they were fighting on the battleground.
Photo from:
https://www.alexandriava.gov/historic/civilwar/
Photo from:
https://www.alexandriava.gov/historic/civilwar/
The journal entry shown here was written by a young girl from Virginia. In the letter, she wrote about her everyday routine, her family, and soldiers from the civil war. Specifically, she talks about how she hates quartering soldiers staying in her home, forcing her to stay together with all of her sisters and cousins. She may not have been in the midst of a bloody war scene, but the war had its way of disrupting the lives of everyone.
Photo from:
http://teva.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p15138coll1/id/12/rec/1
Photo from:
http://teva.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p15138coll1/id/12/rec/1