The Unfinished Fight

12 CivilWarNews.com April 2022

The Importance of Reputation

To be introduced by someone meant they were vouching for your character, which also put that person’s own reputation at risk. For this reason, the formalities of introduction and acquaintance were taken very seriously. When a woman was being introduced to a new male acquaintance, would she offer her hand to be polite? It depends…on introductions taking place inside a room, a married lady generally offers her hand, but a single girl would not. However, in a ballroom setting, where an introduction is made to ask for a dance, not friendship, a gentleman would not initiate contact or shake hands with a lady, only bow. “It may perhaps be stated that the more public the place of introduction, the less touching takes place.”

What were the reasons for this degree of formal etiquette? To a woman of the 1860s, a spotless reputation was the first priority. Someone of dubious character was shunned completely by the rest of “society.” The double standard was best exemplified by the case of that well-known rake, Congressman Dan Sickles, the self-proclaimed hero of the Peach Orchard at Gettysburg. Dan Sickles’ pre-Civil War career was full of personal scandals. He was censured by the New York State Assembly for escorting a well-known prostitute into its chambers. He also reportedly brought that same prostitute to England with him to meet Queen Victoria, leaving a pregnant wife half his age at home.

Speaking of his wife Teresa, Sickles had married her against the wishes of both families, and so on. In an ironic twist with tragic consequences, his lack of fidelity came back in his face when his young wife became involved in an ill-advised affair with Philip Barton Key II, the son of the famous Francis Scott Key, who wrote “The Star Spangled Banner.” Far from forgiving, upon learning of his wife’s indiscretion in 1859, the enraged Sickles summarily shot and killed Philip Key in the streets of Washington, D.C., allegedly right in front of the White House. As for as Philip Key, besides being the son of someone famous and beloved, he was perhaps more importantly the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. Now here was a scandal, even by Washington standards.

Congressman Sickles was charged with murder but subsequently acquitted after a sensational trial involving the first use in U.S. jurisprudence of temporary insanity as a legal defense for murder. His defense attorney was well chosen, none other than Edwin M. Stanton, later to become Lincoln’s Secretary of War. After this incident the notorious Dan Sickles did not even lose his congressional seat. The attitude of the general public was much more hostile toward Sickles’ after his later reconciliation with his wife than it was to the murder of Key or even Sickles’ numerous other scandals including his unorthodox legal “defense.” However, his wife Teresa was never forgiven and formally shunned by Washington society ever afterwards, the love affair apparently being the more serious of the two crimes.4 The only complaint about Sickles’ behavior (generally) was that he took his wife Teresa back.

The point is…there was no middle ground for a woman in the 1860s. They were either virtuous, or a trollop. Another example of behavior being modified by threat of a soiled reputation (justified or not) was the famous Orders # 28. One of the major problems confronted by Maj. Gen. Benjamin F. Butler on his occupation of New Orleans in April of 1862 was the abuse his soldiers endured from the female civilian residents of the city. It was noted that “Bitterly resentful of the Union occupation, whenever any of Butler’s men were present they Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Sickles. (Library of Congress) Gen. Benjamin F. Butler. (NARA 528659)

April 2022 CivilWarNews.com

would contemptuously gather in their skirts, cross streets, flee rooms, cast hateful glances, or make derisive comments. Some sang spirited renditions of “The Bonnie Blue Flag” and other Confederate songs, or spat on soldiers’ uniforms, while teaching their children to do the same. One woman emptied a chamber pot on Capt. David C. Farragut from her window shortly after the Mayor of New Orleans surrendered the city to him. The women hoped their actions would force a retaliatory incident serious enough to incite paroled Confederate men to revolt against the Federal occupation troops in New Orleans.” Butler’s men showed admirable restraint against the insults, but he knew that it was only a matter of time until one of his soldiers, pressed too far, would confront or arrest some female belligerent and incite a riot from a mob made up of irate and impassioned gentlemen of the city. Butler feared his small occupation force would be overcome by the outraged mob and the matter would result in anarchy. He summarily dealt with the problem on May 15, 1862, by issuing General Orders No. 28, carefully worded to stop dead the insults to his men:

“General Orders, No. 28

HDQRS. DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF,

New Orleans, May 15, 1862.

As the officers and soldiers of the United States have been subject to repeated insults from the women (calling themselves ladies) of New Orleans in return for the most scrupulous noninterference and courtesy on our part, it is ordered that hereafter when any female shall by word, gesture, or movement insult or show contempt for any officer or soldier of the United States she shall be regarded and held liable to be treated as a woman of the town plying her avocation.

By command of Major-General Butler: GEO. C. STRONG,

Assistant Adjutant-General and Chief of Staff”

Except for a few isolated incidents this plan worked very well, and when the ladies of New Orleans learned they would be subject to arrest as vagrants or prostitutes and thus branded as dishonorable just for the act of demeaning a man wearing a U.S. army uniform, the insults stopped abruptly. Psychologically, the reason this worked was due to the potential for absolute destruction of their reputations which could result from even the perception of dishonor. For example, any arrest of this sort could mean those unfortunate women might never marry someone from same social register, or be able to get one of the few decent jobs available such as schoolteacher or nurse; if she were already married her husband was expected to throw her out or at least live apart from her…send her away. Butler made the insulting behavior no longer worth the potential “cost” to the ladies of New Orleans. He achieved a nearly complete surrender based solely on the societal pressure of etiquette without any further action. Well, almost… one Mrs. Eugenia Levy Philips of New Orleans, wife of a former congressman from Alabama and mother of nine, already pardoned once, earned herself a 90 day sentence at Shipp Island with other Confederate prisoners in July 1862 for standing on her balcony and shouting disparagements at a Union funeral procession passing by. When confronted with the facts in court, she stated “Yes, I was in good spirits that day.”

Technically, the charges against Mrs. Levy were not pressed as stated in General Orders 28, “being a woman of the town plying her avocations,” but rather the complaint was in the legal realm of disorderly conduct “… acting as a dangerous woman, stirring up strife and inciting a riot.” Few others followed her example, and after her release from prison the notorious Mrs. Philips with her husband and brood moved to LaGrange, Georgia, for the rest of the war. Her husband, Philip Philips practiced law in Washington, D.C., after the war but never achieved as much in his political career as he might have otherwise because of the “unrestrained activities of his wife.” Even the stalwart Confederate patriot Mary Chesnutt notes in her diary that Mrs. Philips was “a bad, mad woman.” American society in the 1860s was extremely concerned with the maintenance of proper standards for both men and women, but particularly women.

We can see that the “rules” of behavior were very different for women of the Civil War era than for men. Men would have been well aware of this double standard unless they were terribly stupid or socially backward. In conclusion the goal is to base any portrayal of 1860s behaviors on the existing documentation of the manners of the time period. The surviving record strongly suggests that tipping your hat to a lady on the street who is a total stranger and saying “Good Morning, Ma’am” or almost anything else would cause her to potentially be seen as less than honorable and set tongues wagging. People would gossip endlessly about the circumstances of your greeting, assume there was a prior acquaintance, and depending on who witnessed the exchange, it could be very damaging. For example, it raises several questions beginning with, “How does she know this soldier?” which leads to “Has she been out to their camp?” and then logically to speculation on “What was she doing there?” inferring nothing good and so on.

Hence, this common greeting would only be initiated by the man if he wanted to cast doubt on the woman’s character for some reason, or to show himself to be uncouth and crude. To demonstrate the proper respect of a Southern gentleman, it was always expected that he would wait for a cue from the woman to whom he wished to speak and never initiate even polite conversation with female strangers in the street.

Craig L. Barry was born in Charlottesville, Va. He holds his BA and Masters degrees from UNC (Charlotte). Craig served The Watchdog Civil War Quarterly as Associate Editor and Editor from 2003–2017. The Watchdog published books and columns on 19th-century material and donated all funds from publications to battlefield preservation. He is the author of several books including The Civil War Musket: A Handbook for Historical Accuracy (2006, 2011), The Unfinished Fight: Essays on Confederate Material Culture Vol. I and II (2012, 2013). He has also published four books in the Suppliers to the Confederacy series on English Arms & Accoutrements, Quartermaster stores and other European imports.

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14 CivilWarNews.com

American Battlefield Protection Program, these classroom tools will continue to highlight battlefield sites from American first 100 years.

Wanted: HistoryLoving Teens for the Trust’s 2022-23 Youth Leadership Team

The Future Looks Bright for the Pending Culpeper Battlefields State Park

Long hoped for by residents and preservationists, the creation of a new Culpeper Battlefields State Park is looking increasingly realistic as the Virginia legislative session progresses. The process began in January when Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin included a request for $4.93 million to acquire land at Brandy Station and Cedar Mountain for the new park as part of the package of legislative initiatives and budget amendments he submitted to the General Assembly. It gained momentum in February, when both the House and Senate Finance Committees included language to facilitate that action in the full budgets sent forward for consideration.

“Landscapes protected by the Trust and our partners over several decades represent the makings of a turn-key park, ready to welcome visitors to explore the heart of the Virginia Piedmont,” said American Battlefield Trust president David Duncan. “Members of the House and Senate Finance Committees clearly understood the power of these places, how they will connect Virginians and visitors to both our history and our present. State Park status will supercharge the economic impact that heritage tourism already brings to the Culpeper region and further enhance the unique character of this community.”

The state park initiative would make use of more than 1,700 acres of preserved land on the Brandy Station and Cedar Mountain Battlefields. Nestled in the Virginia Piedmont, Culpeper County is widely recognized for its scenic character, natural beauty, and abundant history. Its location between the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers made it an area of strategic importance during the Civil War, and thousands of enslaved peoples crossed its rivers, heading northward to freedom; some returned as free men to fight for their country on this very soil.

The proposal is supported by a long-standing, bipartisan coalition of state legislators, national and local preservation organizations, and Culpeper government officials. In 2016, the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors and the Culpeper Town Council both passed resolutions endorsing a state battlefield park in Culpeper County.

To stay tuned in to the latest news on the Culpeper Battlefields State Park, check out www. culpeperbattlefields.org.

Students Are in Store for a Star-Spangled Virtual Field Trip

Culpeper’s Brandy Station (pictured) and Cedar Mountain Battlefields make up the prospective location for a new state park in Virginia. (Photo by Jennifer Michael)

Between pandemic precautions, limited financial resources, and the constant factor of distance, field trips, although coveted by students, are far and few between. Now, the Trust seeks to create a digital pathway to place-based education through the debut of its first virtual field trip to Baltimore, Md., the third largest city in the United States at the outset of the War of 1812.

Over the span of 70 minutes, the Baltimore Virtual Trip takes viewers to Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, Hampton National Historic Site, and the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House. Host Douglas Ullman, Jr., walks the grounds of these historic places and speaks with experts at the National Park Service about the wartime events and personalities that cemented these locations into our national narrative.

The Trust has packaged the virtual field trip alongside an array of supporting materials for easy implementation in the classroom. With these components working in concert, the subject matter can be explored through a military, civilian, geographic, and cultural lens, and thus provide interest for a wide spectrum of students.

The Charm City endeavor, made possible through the Bowe Stewart Foundation, marks the beginning of the organization’s initiative to deliver even more virtual field trips, from locations like New Orleans, Boston, and Washington, D.C. Supported by a battlefield interpretation grant from the National Park Service’s

The American Battlefield Trust Youth Leadership Team (YLT) is a rotating group of young people, aged 15-18, who serve as the youth face and voice of the Trust, introducing a new generation to the importance of historic preservation. In return, these students gain invaluable skills and experiences that will set them apart as they pursue future goals. In this academic-year-long program, members will: ✪ Receive training in leadership, program management, lobbying, media relations, and fundraising. ✪ Travel to Washington D.C., for further training and

Youth Lobby Day advocacy, as well as off-site to the

Trust’s Annual Conference.

All expenses are paid for the participant and relevant travel guidelines respected. ✪ Contribute to content creation on battlefields.org, interact with and create posts for the

Trust’s social media channels, and produce photos and video for the organization. ✪ Be responsible for preservation, education, or visitation projects in their hometown.

If you know an enthusiastic history student, please encourage them to apply, as applications are currently open for the 2022— 23 school year. For more information, visit www.battlefields. org/youth-leadership-team.

Trust Wins Silver for ‘Road to Freedom’ Program in Inaugural Anthem Awards

2021-22 Youth Leadership Team member Catherine Slavich. (Photo by Loran Cook)

April 2022

The Road to Freedom, a digital tour guide from the Trust showcasing scores of Virginia sites integral to the black experience during the Civil War era, has received a Silver Award in the Education, Art, & Culture division of the inaugural Anthem Awards. This new initiative of the Webby Awards, celebrating purpose and missiondriven work, is presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences.

“It is our distinct honor to recognize the work that brands, organizations, and individuals are all making to create an impact in their community,” said Jessica Lauretti, Managing Director, The Anthem Awards.

The “Road to Freedom” program, created through a partnership between the American Battlefield Trust and Civil War Trails, Inc., with assistance from the African American Heritage Preservation Foundation, offers free physical and digital products, including a map guide available in visitor centers and distribution sites across the state and a web app with downloadable versions for Android and iOS devices. While the first release focused on Virginia, plans are underway to expand the project into Tennessee and North Carolina.

The Trust stood amongst giants like the National Geographic Society but came out strong with silver at the inaugural Anthem Awards.

Efforts Continue to Save Hallowed Ground at Two Virginia Battlefields

The Trust has two monumental fundraising campaigns underway, at Williamsburg’s James Custis Farm and Fredericksburg’s

April 2022 CivilWarNews.com

The James Custis Farm at the Williamsburg Battlefield in York County, Va. (Photo by Robert James) Slaughter Pen Farm; both considered the hearts of their respective battlefields. It is only with the perseverance and dedication of Trust donors that these properties, totaling 458 acres, can be deemed “Saved Forever.”

The 250-acre James Custis Farm is where Union soldiers and enslaved Virginians turned the tide of the Battle of Williamsburg and helped build public support for emancipation. It is also the site of the well-preserved Redoubt 11, a position that proved pivotal to Brig. Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock’s success in the 1862 battle. Thanks to an exceptional confluence of grant funding, including the largest matching grant in the history of the federal American Battlefield Protection Program, the Trust is left to raise only the remaining $57,000. To learn more, visit www.battlefields.org/save245.

The Trust’s 2006 acquisition of the Slaughter Pen Farm remains the largest private battlefield purchase in American history. While all available resources were utilized at the time of the transaction, the organization had to take on a loan requiring hefty annual payments. But now, a special opportunity has arisen to pay this loan off years ahead of schedule by raising $400,000. All donations will be met with $2-to-$1 match. Help the Trust claim a preservation victory on the site at www.battlefields.org/ SaveSlaughterPen.

Embrace Preservation by Volunteering on the Trust’s 26th Annual Park Day

This year marks the Trust’s 26th annual Park Day, an opportunity for volunteers of all ages to get outside and help maintain sites sacred to our country’s heritage. Taking place largely on April 9, 2022, the event encourages communities to embrace handson preservation projects ranging from trash collection, cleaning of monuments, trail building, painting and restoration of signage, repair work, and more at battlefields and sites nationwide. To find your nearest volunteer opportunity, along with site contacts and details, please visit www.battlefields.org/parkday.

Park Day volunteers at Monocacy National Battlefield tend to fence maintenance. (Photo by Matt Brant)