War's Tragedy:What happened to wounded Confederate Veterans after the War?

[SiliconMagician]

Often we are shown the terrible cost of the Civil War on the men who were wounded.

I often think about battles we fight in Multiplayer and how wounded almost always outnumber the outright killed in some cases 8 or 10 to 1. Now I think about how many of these guys would lose a limb. An arm or a leg. 60%? 70%?

Anyway.

I know that Union soldiers often had at least somewhat well funded veterans hospitals in the north they could turn to in order to figure out how to cope with their new disability.

But the Confederate Soldier, hobbling on a crutch missing his leg, or with his sleeve pinned. He returned to what? A burned out home? A farm that he cannot work himself due to his disability? A social fabric completely destroyed?

The North certainly wasn't going to embark on any charitable donations to rebuild the South, on the contrary northern robber barons proceeded to extort, embezzle and other wise suck clean the last economic flesh of the Old Confederacy.

What happened to these wounded men? Did they just eventually roll off into a bush somewhere and die? How would a man in the 19th century, where there is no support system of any real quality, survive in such a world crippled by war?

I'd imagine it would be hard enough in the North, but nearly impossible in the South.

[SouthernSteel]

There were Veterans' Homes in the South after the war, most of them state-funded, as I recall. That may not account for the interim when men were still able to get around, but certainly when they were older or family was unable to take care of them, they would have been taken in and taken care of there. Blieve it or not, during the war, the South had some of the best military hospitals as well, so despite the lack of organization and perhaps grand funding, they seem to have done alright.

See: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/2 ... 04356.html

The North had the GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) which was sort of a veterans organization that oversaw some of their care, and in general I would have to think that yes, the North's care system was in generally better organized and better funded. I have a friend who is working on this for his dissertation (the GAR, not so much the South as far as I know) but if you're really interested I can ask him about it.

Keep in mind too that disease was the primary killer, and the loss of a limb often invited infection and disease, so while amputation may have been the go-to option at the time, it by no means guaranteed a man would survive. Thousands upon thousands died after being wounded.

[SiliconMagician]

Ouch. Huffpo? Those people weren't exactly nice in that article. LOL

[SouthernSteel]

If you expect people to be nice on the internet you are in for a bad time. I just happened to grab that article from the results, I'm sure there are others that at least pretend to be more neutral.

[35th Georgia]

My GG Grandaddy was taken care of by family as he became disabled. He recieved a pension of 120 dollars a year from the State of Florida as he moved there from Texas.They also lived in Sumter Co Alabamba. I'm not sure how Alabama was but Florida seemed to treat the Veterans well as from the paperwork,he had alot of help getting the pension. Sad thing is that some had no idea help was available.

[JC Edwards]

There were Veterans' Homes in the South after the war, most of them state-funded, as I recall. That may not account for the interim when men were still able to get around, but certainly when they were older or family was unable to take care of them, they would have been taken in and taken care of there. Blieve it or not, during the war, the South had some of the best military hospitals as well, so despite the lack of organization and perhaps grand funding, they seem to have done alright.

See: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/2 ... 04356.html

The North had the GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) which was sort of a veterans organization that oversaw some of their care, and in general I would have to think that yes, the North's care system was in generally better organized and better funded. I have a friend who is working on this for his dissertation (the GAR, not so much the South as far as I know) but if you're really interested I can ask him about it.

Keep in mind too that disease was the primary killer, and the loss of a limb often invited infection and disease, so while amputation may have been the go-to option at the time, it by no means guaranteed a man would survive. Thousands upon thousands died after being wounded.

I read that story recently and came to one conclusion - ALVIN HOLMES NEEDS AN ENEMA!

Sarge