C

The phenomenon of women laboring within the military camps was not a new development of the Civil War. The European continental armies of the eighteenth century welcomed women into their midst. In the American Revolutionary War, women worked in an unofficial capacity among the rank-and-file: washing clothing, cooking, sewing and repairing uniforms, nursing and cleaning. Revolutionary War soldiers depended on the services women provided for their well-being. Women were recompensed, in most cases, with half a soldier’s food ration, and, occasionally, a small wage.