Although they are not widely known, the vivandieres and cantinieres who traveled with regiments during the Civil War were women who, despite the constrictions of Victorian society, chose to serve alongside men during wartime in a role that American women thus far had not played. A part of their regiment, these women served several functions, all unheard of for American women of the time.
The history of the vivandiere, or cantiniere, is rooted in the Napoleonic War. During this war, it was not uncommon for bands of women, often the wives or daughters of members of the regiment, to “follow the drum” just behind a regiment. The French army, wishing to reduce the number of women who followed these regiments, restricted this activity, but as a compromise, allowed a few women to serve in some capacity in the regiment. These women became either as vivandieres or cantinieres. The duties of each were prescribed; vivandieres acted as a concessionaire of sorts, selling food and drink to the troops, remaining in camp, while cantinieres followed the regiments on campaign, also distributing food and drink, and nursing ill or wounded soldiers. Read the rest of this entry »
During the Civil War, thousands of former slaves joined with the U.S. Army as they were liberated from the homes and plantations where they were enslaved. Although many of these freed men and women would be relocated, there were men among them who joined the Army, and women among them who chose to continue traveling with the Army, giving aid to the soldiers who fought to ensure their freedom.
One of these former slaves was Susie King Taylor, a black woman whose uncommon education made her valuable on many fronts to the U.S. Army, and the only black woman to publish her memoirs of her time with the Army during the Civil War.
Born a slave in Liberty County, Georgia, Susie was allowed by her master to go to Savannah, to live with her grandmother, when she was around seven years old. In Savannah, Susie had the good fortune to be able to attend covert schools for African-Americans at a time when Georgia had and enforced strict laws against the education of African-Americans. Susie was also assisted in her studies by two white youths who taught her, despite knowing that they were in violation of the law. Read the rest of this entry »
The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require it. U.S. Constitution, Article One, Section Nine
The right of a prisoner to know the charges upon which he has been imprisoned is one of the basic rights granted by the U.S. Constitution. Known as habeas corpus, this right is both intrinsic to the justice system of the United States and important to ensuring freedom and liberty, rights which are also guaranteed to U.S. citizens.
During the Civil War, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln suspended habeas corpus, allowing suspected Confederate sympathizers to be imprisoned without knowing the cause – usually because there was no reason for their imprisonment other than their Confederate sympathies. Using the “unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion” clause to the right of habeas corpus, Lincoln exercised his executive authority to imprison those whom he felt were a threat to the Union. Read the rest of this entry »
A boastful man of questionable morals, and one of the more irascible figures of the Civil War era, Union General Joseph Hooker also gained a reputation as an officer beloved by his men but reviled by almost everyone else.
Born in Massachusetts, Joseph Hooker attended the United States Military Academy, graduating in 1837. Hooker served under both Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott during the Mexican-American War, gaining several promotions. He also gained a reputation with the local senoritas, who referred to him as “the Handsome Captain.” This predilection for the company of ladies would follow Hooker throughout his life.
Although well-suited to the military life, Hooker resigned his commission in 1853, his reputation in shambles due to the fact that he had testified against General Winfield Scott in a court-martial against Gideon Pillow. Settling in California, Hooker ostensibly began a career as a land developer and farmer; however, his main occupations were drinking and gambling. Read the rest of this entry »
The modern U.S. army has a wide array of food products available to them in base camps and in the field. There are a large number of MREs (which are actually quite tasty) and other portable foods available to them when on missions and when stationed in hostile terrain. And when posted at an established base camp, the food that is prepared is also quite good. A large part of this is of course the ready availability of large quantities of any sort of food imaginable in today’s modern environment. In fact, today’s soldiers have the best food ever made available to a fighting force.
But it wasn’t always that way. Read the rest of this entry »
