Women's Work in the Civil War

They were young, they were old, they were mothers, sisters, wives, widows, and neighbors. They were ladies of high social position, farmer's wives, and school teachers. Shells and bullets flew through the very tents and hospitals in which they worked. They worked with African-American soldiers, freed slaves, and rebel soldiers. They not only gave up their time and exhausted themselves serving others, many lost their lives to the same diseases that killed the soldiers for whom they were caring. They even fought as soldiers. They were the Union women of the American Civil War and their role in support of the cause was vastly broader and more essential than most people realize. Here are the stories of some of the prominent and the not-so-prominent. Clara Barton, Dorothea Dix, and Emily Parsons are only three of the many women profiled in this work written right after the Civil War. Without their leadership and tireless efforts, the outcome of the war would have been very different.