The civil war was not just about the battles between Generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee. Courageous acts did not just occur on the battlefield of Gettysburg and Manassas. The stories of millions of normal folks trying to get by while the country fought a civil war are numerous and for the most part untold. Can you imagine what it would be like to be living in Richmond during the ten-month siege? The winter of 1863 was harsh on the soldiers living in the city, and even harder on the residents who had to support the soldiers. The supply situation got so bad during the siege that severe rations had to be enacted. Throughout the travail, wives and mothers tried their best to keep their children fed while supporting the tens of thousands of troops who needed provisions. The army was prepared to defend Richmond for a long time. They had enough stores of grain to feed themselves for many months if that is what it took. 

First, taverns and shops were broken into and food was distributed to waiting mothers. The riot grew as hungry city-dwellers joined in on a march on the food stores of the Confederate Army. The Confederate president Jefferson Davis came and spoke to the crowd, warning them that if they did not leave he would order his troops to fire on them. The crowd dissolved, but the unstable position of the south was further shaken by this raucous episode.

Teddy

Please email me at: teddy@ustrek.org