Sex in the Civil War

by Rhyann Bowman

When someone mentions the Civil War, the first thing that pops into your head isn't sex. You think of weapons, slavery, Abraham Lincoln, and the split between northern and southern states. The war that led to slavery being abolished was known as America's bloodiest clash [1]. One thing that you won't hear grade school teachers explaining to students is how much sex played a role in the Civil War. While the soldiers were fighting in a war, they were also indulging in their sexual pleasures. For those who are knowledgeable about sex in the Civil War, among the most popular names and terms are Annie Jones, General George Custer, General Judson Kilpatrick, and Smokey Row.

In their camps, the soldiers obtained pictures of nude women. White women who were nude in the pictures were innocent in the pictures while women of different races were usually engaging in sexual activity. These pictures were most likely for masturbation. However, pictures were not the only way for soldiers to get women. They were many prostitutes available. Prostitutes often followed the troops [2]. For one soldier, Joseph Hooker, there were so many prostitutes around him that the prostitutes who were in his company became known as “hookers”. We can thank Joseph Hooker for this endearing term that is still around today. As you can imagine, there were many cases of venereal disease. The most popular diseases among the soldiers were syphilis and gonorrhea. These diseases were attempted to be treated with mercury. However, the mercury killed the soldiers.

                           

One camp follower, Annie Jones, was very popular among the soldiers in the Civil War. She was seventeen years old when she left home. She initially left to become a nurse, but she soon began to service the soldiers in the war [3]. She was also arrested many times because she was thought to be a spy but she denies these claims. Annie Jones is mostly known for being the mistress of General George Custer. Custer was under the command of General Judson Kilpatrick, who was jealous of Custer because he was constantly visited by Annie Jones. In fact, Annie believed that this was the reason that she was charged with being a spy.  

Smokey Row was Nashville, Tennessee’s red-light district. The women in this red-light district serviced farmers and merchants in town on business [4]. As mentioned before, syphilis and gonorrhea were the most popular diseases. These diseases were almost as deadly as the war to the soldiers. Many men who died in the war died of diseases they contracted instead of the war. After the war ended, the spread of pornography led to the Comstock law and other anti-pornography forces.

[1] Lowry, Thomas. The Story the Soldiers Wouldn't Tell: Sex in the Civil War. Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books, 1994.

[2] Case Western Reserve University, "case.edu." Last modified 2010. Accessed March 31, 2014. http://www.case.edu/affil/skuyhistcontraception/online-2012/Civil-War.html.

[3] Albright, Evan. Cape Cod Confidential, "Cape Cod Confidential." Last modified December 31, 2001. Accessed March 31, 2014. http://capecodconfidential.com/cccanniejones011230.shtml.

[4] Serratore, Angela. Smithsonian, "Smithsonian." Last modified July 8, 2013. Accessed March 31, 2014. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-curious-case-of-nashvilles-frail-sisterhood-7766757/?no-ist.