WOMEN PLAYED MULTIPLE ROLES IN THE CIVIL WAR ERA

When Linda Royce read from a letter written by a Civil War soldier, she uncovered the true role women played during the War between the States.

Royce is a member of the Cape Girardeau County chapter of the Civil War Round Table. Dressed in vintage clothing Sunday afternoon, she led a presentation on the role of women in the Civil War.

When the Civil War broke out, it involved citizens from a nation unprepared for battle. And when men -- young and old -- were called to the front lines, they left behind farms, homes and businesses to be run by women.

Women, long thought to be too gentile to handle the rigors of hard labor, proved to the nation they were, not only willing, but also able to handle these new duties, Royce said.

Communication at the time was sparse, and women relied heavily on letters from family and friends. The traditional cakes, cookies, slippers and fine articles of clothing were not what the soldiers needed.

As letters filtered home, women learned their prepared food did not arrive in an edible form, and fine clothing was not usable for soldiers plowing their way across the countryside, she said.

What was needed were bandages and surgical packets for the wounded, clothing that would withstand the weather and be more appropriate for the task and food products that could withstand the travel.

But women did take on a traditional role in the war, as nurses. During the Civil War, thousands of young women were trained in the profession and then sent to the battlefields.

Hospitals were set up wherever the need arose and the women were there to help care for the wounded. Those who thought the life of a nurse would be glamorous were soon astounded to see the dirty, filthy conditions of war.

As the war raged on, life at home began to change. Supplies dwindled because most items were being sent to the soldiers. Women were going to have to take charge, Royce said.

And take charge they did. Women began to take over the farming duties, as well as learning how to hunt and shoot game for food. They became tremendous recyclers, making the most of what little supplies there were.

Royce and her husband, Randy, are avid history buffs. She researched several books on the history of women in the war to authenticate her presentation.

The Civil War Round Table meets on the third Sunday of the month at Hanover Lutheran Church. Each meeting includes a special presentation.

The August meeting topic will be medicines of the Civil War era.

A trip to Civil War sites in the St. Louis area is being planned for October.

People who want more information can contact Rob Weeks, president, at 335-8361.