Michigan State Relief Association - Civilian Re-enactment

An Introduction to Civilian and Non-Combatant Re-enactment The American Civil War was a civilian's war. The vast majority of soldiers on both sides were civilian volunteers who camped, marched and fought, in and around familiar surroundings and similar communities to their own. Naturally the civilian population became embroiled in the war, quite often as accidental bystanders, but also as active participants, serving and supporting the military in camp or on campaign. Many men didn't take part in the hostilities at all but carried on with their normal occupations. Others, particularly at the start of the war enlisted as short term volunteers and, when their time expired, simply went home often proud of their involvement. The Civil War was, however, not simply a man's war, for women played a significant role with some 300,000 women aiding the war effort. Some worked in factories or within their local community ( the home front) providing and preparing resources for the men at war. Others actively sought and followed the soldiers to the front line and even onto the battle fields. The scope of civilian and non-combatant re-enactment is enormous but it is useful to classify some major categories : Civilian Relief Organisations Nurses Nuns and Clergy Cooks and Laundresses Politicians Military Observers Officers' Families Sutlers Newspaper Reporters, Artists and Photographers General Civilians General Military Posts Provost Marshals Postal Service Signal Corps Military Telegraph Secret Service Topographical Engineers Sources Used	A man in typical civilian dress
Civilian Relief Organisations The two principle Union relief organisations were the U.S Sanitary Commission and the U.S. Christian Commission. Both organisations collected donations of goods and raised money to purchase supplies which were distributed to soldiers at the front. These included essentials such as blankets and food as well as 'treats'. The Sanitary Commission also undertook surveys of camps in the field and provided guidance to officers about hygiene. Each State had its own Voluntary Relief Agency which would follow the regiments about in the field. The Michigan State Relief Association was just one. Quite often the various relief organisations would camp together forming a street of tents , each one displaying a banner proclaiming the name of the organisations so the soldiers could associate with people from their own state. These organisations were run by volunteers, men and women, who provided a variety of services including writing letters home, help in obtaining pay and furlough, arranging for the wounded to be removed to hospitals nearer home, as well as, distributing supplies
Nurses Most nurses served in hospitals well away from the front line e.g. Washington. A few woman did serve as nurses under the auspices of Relief Organisations close to battle sites but they did not venture on to the field during or after engagements. Male nurses ( hospital stewards ) would accompany surgeons on to the field after the action had ceased. Women nurses were generally involved in administering ' special diets' or managing linens and other hospital dressings. They sometimes assisted in changing dressings. Before the war hospital 'nurses' often had bad reputations and some were in fact prostitutes. At the beginning of the conflict many prejudices were felt as to the average woman's suitability for caring for soldiers. There were some exceptional women, however, who defied convention and became famous as Civil War nurses.
Nuns and Clergy One group of women were considered acceptable when help was needed to treat the wounded and that was nuns. Throughout the war more than 600 Catholic nuns served as cooks, washerwomen, nurses, hospital administrators, apothecaries and tended the wounded after many major battles. Nuns were considered respectable and very caring! The Christian Commission employed clergy who distributed donated goods as well as spiritual literature. Also many of the benevolent societies and religious denominations employed colporteurs who could be seen wandering through the camps sometimes flooding them with reading materials such as bibles and religious tracts. There was also a chaplaincy service attached to both armies although neither were particularly successful in obtaining recruits. In 1862 barely two thirds of 676 Union regiments had a chaplain and this compared favourably with the CS chaplaincy service which could only serve a half of the regiments. Their main roles were to lead religious service in camp on a Sunday afternoon, comfort the homesick and depressed and offer council to individuals and groups on a variety of topics ! Although chaplains were under orders not to take part in combat many went to the front line and some even took part.
Cooks and Laundresses In winter camp wives and children sometimes accompanied their husbands. They were usefully employed taking in laundry from the rest of the company. Occasionally they were employed as cooks but this role was normally undertaken by local slaves. Behind every major army camp was a second force : the so called laundresses and camp followers. Many of these were prostitutes who set up their own huts to carry out their trade. One soldier wrote ' we have about forty women in the regiment, some of them make lots of money natures' way.'
Politicians Politicians and their wives sometimes visited armies in camp. They spent most of the time with the army leaders and high ranking officers but would often review the troops during their stay.
Military Observers Officers of various foreign countries (particularly Britain and France) were sent to America to act as military observers. Some acted as aides wearing the uniform of their adopted army while others wore the uniform of their country , and army, of origin. Louis Phillipe Albert d'Orleans, Comte de Paris and Robert Philppe Louis d'Orleans Duc de Chartres both wore union uniforms in their capacity as aides to McClellan. Other military observers included, Brigadier General William F. Barry ( British Army), Colonel V. DeChanal ( French Army), Lieutenant George T Monroe ( Royal Canadian Rifles) and H.M. Hippisley ( British Royal Navy ).
Officers' Families Officer's wives and children might join their husbands in camp particularly during the winter. This was more common in the Confederate army where apart from comforting their husbands the wives undertook a social role as well as providing 'genteel' feminine company. The presence of women in the camp often raised moral and younger 'ladies' were often treated as 'belles' of the regiment with appropriate attention.
Sutlers Sutlers were civilian traders who followed the army around. They sold a wide variety of goods , including luxuries ( tinned oysters and peaches) which were normally unavailable but prices were universally high. Goods were available on credit with payment on pay-day. The sutler usually sold his wares from a large tent and remained in camp until ordered to the rear which signified the beginning of a campaign.
Newspaper Reporters, Artists and Photographers The major newspapers of the time e.g. Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, Harper's Weekly and the Illustrated News employed journalists and artists to record the important campaigns. Thirty 'special artists', working for these three newspapers, produced more than 2,500 sketches between them during the war years. The newspaper men were civilians and self sufficient although sometimes they were permitted to purchase food from the officers' mess or buy leftover supplies from the quartermaster. In camp they provided their own tents but on campaign often slept rough. The South produced one illustrated paper during the war - the Southern Illustrated News between 1863 and 1865 - however it only had a limited readership. Each town of any size produced one or more newspapers e.g. Hanover ( 14 miles SE of Gettysburg) printed 2 papers - The Hanover Spectator and The Hanover Citizen. The first was published by a woman assisted by her daughter, Mary Shaw Leader, and her two sons. Mary Shaw Leader acted as the journalist and was present at Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.
General Civilians Campaigns were fought amongst the homes of the general population, their farms, villages and towns. Naturally there was contact between civilians and the military. As troops gathered for an impending battle some civilians fled to become refugees, who often blocked roads slowing the advance of troops, but others remained tenaciously in their homes. Many of these civilians would be agricultural workers or wives and families of soldiers. At the battle of Bull Run sightseers came out in their 'buggies' and wagons to witness the battle and took with them picnics to pass the time. Needless to say the activity was short lived. However troops on the march always attracted attention and would be cheered or jeered at by curious bystanders. There are a number of other civilian rules that can be re-enacted including railroad workers, newspaper sellers, telegraph operators and postal workers.
General Military Posts There are certain military posts which can be re-enacted as non-combatants in or out of uniform. The chaplaincy service has already been mentioned but others might include the provost marshals, postal service, signal corps, military telegraph, secret service and topographical engineers.
Provost Marshal The Provost Marshal's section was a military police force. McClellan defined their duties as follows - the suppression of marauding and the depredations on private property, the preservation of good order, the prevention of straggling, the suppression of gambling houses or other establishments prejudicial to good order and discipline, and the subversion of hotels, saloons, and places of resort and amusement generally. They were also able to arrest civilians on suspicion and confine them without trial and also dealt with prisoners of war. The duties were assigned to certain regiments e.g. for the Army of the Potomac in 1864 the Provost Guard consisted of the 1st Massachusetts Cavalry, Cos. C and D, 80th New York Infantry, 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry, 68th and 114th Pennsylvania Infantry. A Provost Guard was also attached to each Army Corps e.g. the 12th New York Battalion was attached to the Fifth Army Corps.
Postal Service Each regiment in the field had a special postmaster, generally relieved from all other duties, who received all the mail and saw to its proper distribution among the men. A post-boy would carry the letters to brigade headquarters where, after placing in pouches were passed upwards to corps headquarters. From here on the letters were handled by the U.S. Mail agents. It is possible the agents did not wear uniform but were attired in civilian dress.
Signal Corps More than two thousand signal men served in the Union army. Messages were sent by means of flags, torches or lights. White flags with a red square centre were generally used. All important messages were enciphered by means of a cipher disc. Powerful telescopes mounted on tripods were used to 'read' messages. The CS had there own Signal Corps which was used at Bull Run. Signals become a source of intelligence for each side if the ciphers were broken.
Military Telegraph The telegraph service attached to the Union army had neither definite personnel nor corps organisation. It was simply a civilian bureau, wearing civilian clothes, attached to the Quartermaster's Department and led by uniformed, commissioned officers. The corps was composed of about 150 men who's responsibilities were to lay wires and send and receive messages. As with the signal corps important messages were enciphered. The military telegraph of the C.S. was included in the signal corps.
Secret Service Both sides used men and women agents during the Civil War. Women such as Rose O'Neal Greenhow, Belle Boyd, Elizabeth Van Lew, Pauline Cushman and Sarah Emma Edmonds risked their lives to serve as spies and often obtained important information. The scouts and guides of the Army of the Potomac were attached to the secret-service department conducted by Major A. Pinkerton (pictured here, seated on the right) and were used to gather intelligence as to the strength and disposition of the enemy in the field.	Major A Pinkerton (seated on right)
Topographical Engineers Maps were non-existent or often hopelessly inaccurate at the opening of hostilities. The topographical engineers department provided up to date maps to the army. The union section wore the standard uniform.
Sources used to write this article: Robertson J. 1988 Soldiers Blue and Gray Graham M., Sauers R., Skoch G. 1996 The Blue and the Gray. Menge S. and Shirak J. 1989 The Civil War Notebook of Daniel Chisholm Hanover Chamber of Commerce 1962 Prelude to Gettysburg , Encounter at Hanover Miller F.T. 1957 The photographic History of the Civil War Vols 7 & 8 Davis W. (Ed.) 1982 The Image of War: 1861-1865 Vol. 2. Davis W 1996 The Civil War Arnold J.R. 1995 The Armies of U.S.Grant

Content �1999 Andrew Mason Design �1999 Pete Mason

An Introduction to Civilian and Non-Combatant Re-enactment

Sources used to write this article: