Women on the Homefront | chemungcocivilwar

Hope and Keep Busy: Women on the Homefront

While some local women accompanied their solider-husbands, most women waited at home for news of their loved ones. These women had to balance their regular duties with filling-in for male relatives and supporting the war effort. Whether on their own or with local organizations like the Ladies Hospital Aid Association and Elmira Ladies Relief Association, there were plenty of opportunities for women to show their patriotism. Women raised money for local soldiers’ families and disabled soldiers; rolled bandaged; sewed blankets, tents, flags and clothing; created care packages; knitted socks and mittens; and volunteered at the military hospital in Elmira.

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On the Homefront

Electra Manning With a home to manage, four children to raise and another one on the way, Electra Manning had to be content with only letters to and from her husband Benjamin. Electra once wrote Benjamin, "my all is you all the friend i had in this world is you and i am left alone and i think i am alone if i never had hurd from you again. i did not want to live for what had i to live for only my children but what are them compared to you."	Harper's Weekly, September 6, 1862 “Our Women and the War” Illustration courtesy of harpersweekly.com
Park Church Park Church’s Sewing Society made shirts, knitted mittens and created care packages for soldiers.	Velvet covered sewing box, 1860s
Sewing clamp in the shape of a bird, mid-19th century	Elmira College Students at Elmira Female College created sewing kits for soldiers and donated a parlor organ to Elmira’s military hospital. Members of the literary society even debated war-related topics such as was the war justified and was it right to confiscate Confederate property.
Orphan's Home, 1866 As the first local public charity, the Elmira Ladies Relief Association helped disabled soldiers and their families. Eventually the Association started an orphanage which became the Southern Tier Orphan’s Home.	Printed brown wool dress, c. 1860
Mourning shawl Over 600,000 soldiers died in the Civil War. Nearly every family in the country saw the loss of a loved one.	Rogers Group Statue, 1865 Following the Civil War, Southern war widows who could not support themselves had to take an oath of allegiance to the Union in order to draw rations.

Hope and Keep Busy: Women on the Homefront

Electra Manning

Harper's Weekly, September 6, 1862

“Our Women and the War” Illustration courtesy of harpersweekly.com

Park Church

Park Church’s Sewing Society made shirts, knitted mittens and created care packages for soldiers.

Velvet covered sewing box, 1860s

Sewing clamp in the shape of a bird, mid-19th century

Elmira College

Students at Elmira Female College created sewing kits for soldiers and donated a parlor organ to Elmira’s military hospital. Members of the literary society even debated war-related topics such as was the war justified and was it right to confiscate Confederate property.

Orphan's Home, 1866

As the first local public charity, the Elmira Ladies Relief Association helped disabled soldiers and their families. Eventually the Association started an orphanage which became the Southern Tier Orphan’s Home.

Printed brown wool dress, c. 1860

Mourning shawl

Over 600,000 soldiers died in the Civil War. Nearly every family in the country saw the loss of a loved one.

Rogers Group Statue, 1865

Following the Civil War, Southern war widows who could not support themselves had to take an oath of allegiance to the Union in order to draw rations.