Monday, March 5, 2007

Civil War Women




If you are writing as a woman during the Civil War, submit your journal entry to the comments section for this post. Please explain whether the person writing the journal entry is from the north or the south.



Read the diary of a 16-year-old Southern girl, Alice Williamson


Diary of Carrie Berry, a 10-year-old Southern girl


Diary of Rachel Cormany, a Northern woman

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

April 28, 1861

Dear Wallace,
I am now a nurse to help the wounded soldiers. A week ago, a man almost died in my arms. But it had seemed a miracle happened and he hadn’t passed away. I hope the Lord will protect you and guide you back home soon. Today I nursed and fed more wounded soldiers. About 127 people died, and in just one day. My good friend, Abigail has been thrown into jail. This is the second time since she had been a spy. This time she was getting information about the Battle of Bull Run for Stonewall Jackson. I do miss you, very much. I hope this war will end soon and you will come home.

Love,
Carol Garfield

Recenna
Anna
Timmy

Anonymous said...

July 23, 1861

Dear Diary,

I am Mary Edwards Walker, a white female doctor. No, I am a civilian surgeon for the Union Army. I do not live in any particular permanent place, for I care for the severely wounded soldiers day and night. However, I am currently at Washington, D.C. at the Patent Office Hospital at age 32. I was recently at the Battle of Bull Run a few days ago. It was dreadful. We had lost, and it was apparent that this war was going to last quite awhile. I am eating a hardtack, or a biscuit right now, for it is quite pleasant right out of the factory. I am reminiscing about one of my patients, who had asked for a hardtack. He was at near-death, a shot to his clavicle and artery. Half of his right leg was skinned to the bone. Through all that pain, his request was a simple hardtack and a letter to send back home. It occurred to me that he knew his fate, to be vanished from this soil and up into the Heavens. He will have died proud and a fighter for what he believed in. After his death, I am now encouraged to give my sweat and blood to fight for the Union, to fight for the people.

Standing proud,
Mary E. Walker

Colleen
Jessica
Winnie

MLK Library said...

Dear Diary,
1861 Me,my children,and my husband Abraham Lincoln traveled to Washington D.C and took up residence in the White House.I refurbished the White House but over spent the money congress had appropriated for this task.


Dear Diary,
1862 Willie died in the White House on February 20th.I was never the quite the same again.I ceased social activites until the next year.I never again entered the room in which Willie died.I have a half brother named Sam Todd,He was killed fighting for the confederacy in the Battle of Shiloh.Often times Tad at her side,I visited wounded soliders in hospitals.I took them food and flowers and stopped at each bed for conversation.I helped in fund raising efforts for the wounded.Helping comfort the soliders help comfort my broken heart over Willie's death.

Dear Diary,
1863,On July 2nd 1863 I was involved in a carriage accident in which I was thrown to the ground and hit my head hard on a rock.The wound became infected,and I required nursing care of 3 weeks.I had another half brother,Aleck Todd,was killed fighting for the Confederates at Baton Rouge.Another Confederate half brother,David,was wounded at Vicksburg and died in 1867.The husband of my younger half sister (Emilie),Gerneral Benjamin Hardin Helm ,was killed at age 32 in the Battle of Ckickamauga.I assidted in raising funds for the Contraband Relief Assosiation.

Dear Diary,
1864 I began showing increasing signs of irrationality,especially concerning money.I worried that if Abraham lost the election of 1864,my wild spending will be discovered.More time was spend in seances with mediums and clairevoyants.At least 8 seances were held in the White House during my time as first lady.Abraham was curious about the spiritualists but not a believer.

Dear Diary,
1865,Me and my husband attend the play "Our American Cousin" at Ford's Theatre on April 14th,and Abraham was shot by John Wilkes Booth.I entered a period of extreme grief.

Ivonne,Patricia,Sarah,Lysette

Anonymous said...

Dear Diary,
I am now a union spy. It took me 5 years of training since I was 22 years old. My name is Melissa Jones. My job is to dress up like a man and spy on the Confederates. Also my sister, Molly Jones is in the Union. I have 2 kids. Their names are Michael and Michelle. They are both 8 years old. They are twins. They’re 5 minutes apart. I MISS THEM SO MUCH!!!! As I’m currently doing this job my kids are at their grandmother’s house. [On my side of the family of course.] Thanks to my former husband who ran out on me, my grandmother was all I had.
My mother turned her back on me because she never wanted me to marry the dirt bag anyways. She always knew he was trouble I just didn’t want to believe her. Well now regret everything except my darling twins, but everything else I regret. My ex-husband and I eloped when we were 16. We thought we were crazy in love but we were wrong. The only thing I hear from him [By the way his name is Dave Sparks.] is a letter every Christmas. Sometimes he comes to visit but only on Thanksgiving. Usually he doesn’t stay but a couple of hours to eat and get some photos of MY twins. Well that’s all I can write for today because it’s time to go to more training.

-Sincerely Melissa Jones

Raven and Lilliani

Anonymous said...

March, 26 1863


My name is Sarah Thompson. I am a white woman and I am 36 year olds. I live in Ohio and I on the union side and I don’t like slavery is wrong because you use people to work for you and you don’t pay them. I want at home cooking and have 10 kids and clean the house. And I wear a long dress. I ate stew and I slept is a bed. quoc

Anonymous said...

Dear Diary,

Let me describe myself I am Rachel Jones. I’m a twenty-eight year old Caucasian woman. I live in the Chambersburg Pennsylvania & I support the union. Now that the war has begun I believe it is sad and unfair. I don’t think the war is justified pr could be avoided. Slavery is wrong. It is sad and painful. Today I, made food for everyone I made chicken. I was wearing a dress. I didn’t want to sleep on the floor sp I had to sleep on a wagon.

So much has happened in the past two years, I have learned so much. Right now I am not doing so well and love my life. Far example, it makes me cry and worried about my husband. I don’t have much to eat either. I’m worried that my kids might be dead. At least there are some as us months to help bass the time far example; I like to talk play and do drugs specially weed. We like fiddle music. We like to raise and play with are pets. We have been in war 4 years I believe it should stop I’m worried about my children.

The war is over finally, I get to see my family I hoped for them to be okay I have been missing them for so long. We hope every one is okay. We also hope there is not an another war. The war has taught us to appreciate to the ones you love.

Sincerely,
Rachel Jones

gisselle,genoveva,shanice