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A weekly look at a critical point
in the history of our nation
Children of the Civil War In The South
Children of the Civil War In The South
We read and hear so much about the soldiers and battles of
the Civil War, but not too much about the children….the next generation.
They really were not children, as we think of children
today. When we picture children, we see
images in our mind of school, playing games, being entertained and loved my
many. A child of the Civil War was not
really a child, but was an adult in the form of a child.
What child that we know of today cooks meals, watches after
their siblings, writes letters to soldiers and wants to be a soldier? Remember the book, “Little Women?” This is about 4 girls being taken care of by
their mother, while their father was in the civil war. After receiving letters from her father, Jo,
the oldest daughter really wanted to be a soldier, but knew she had to stay
home and do what her father expected of her. She said,
“I’ll try and be what he loves to call me, “a little
woman,” and not be rough and wild; but do my duty here instead of wanting to be
somewhere else.”
Children knitted socks and caps to be included in a box they
would send to the soldiers. The box might also contain a cured ham, writing paper, tea, or
preserves (which their parents had provided). They would also write a
comment or a Bible scripture that they hoped would encourage the soldiers and
give them hope. Some of the southern
soldiers did not even have boots or shoes, so a child would be a big part of
stuffing the boots or shoes with onions or apples before sending it to the soldiers.
Does this seem like the mind of a child?
Most southern children during the war did not have any toys
unless their father had time to make them some toys, such as blocks or marbles
from clay. Mothers learned to make Handkerchief Dolls or Cornhusk Dolls.
The most painful thing for a child was knowing their Pa was
in the war and was in a dangerous situation.
Children had many questions about the war and they were not protected
against the reality of losing their father.
Even if their father was spared and did make it back home, most of the
time, after the initial joy, they would realize that the Pa that came home from
the war was not the Pa that had left.
Symptoms of flashbacks, disturbing dreams or memories that we now know
as post-traumatic stress disorder were ever present.
Of course the ultimate sacrifice of being a child was
volunteering to be in the Civil War. The
moment of looking into the eye of the enemy has to be the fastest passage to
adulthood ever in history but that is a whole other story that deserves a
separate column.
"What a cruel thing is war; to separate and
destroy families and friends, and mar the purest joys and happiness God has
granted us in this world”…Robert E. Lee
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