Type: Exhibition caption

Detail: In the first year of the war, state and local governments and private charities tried to make provision for soldiers’ dependents. As the war dragged on and the death toll increased, the plight of widows, orphans, and older parents worsened. In July 1862, the federal government stepped in, broadening the range of family members who qualified for assistance and increasing compensation for widows and orphans.

Type: Exhibition case

Name: Upholding the Home Front: New Jersey Women in the Civil War

Detail: New Jersey women quickly mobilized to support the war effort. They raised money, collected food, clothing, sheets, and blankets to ship to the troops, who often lacked needed supplies. Many towns organized ladies aid societies and church groups held fundraising bazaars. Other women struggled to keep farms and businesses afloat in the absence of male breadwinners, or labored for low wages in factories to support the war machine. Women often expressed their patriotism and suffering through poetry, songs, letters, and diaries.