Dramaturgy Packet for

Originally compiled for: Kidz Theater

Dramaturg: Kyla McHale

Contents:
Tell the Story ............................................................................................................................... 2
Louisa May Alcott ......................................................................................................................... 4
Overview of Women’s Rights Movement: ....................................................................................... 5
Basic Etiquette and Manners ......................................................................................................... 8
The Civil War...............................................................................................................................14
Just a Bit about Scarlet Fever ........................................................................................................20
About the Artists: ........................................................................................................................24

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Tell the Story

A musical explores themes and tell stories, the KINDS of stories they tell belong to a genre – what is
that? Unfortunately “genre” has no one definition! Generally speaking, a genre is always a vague term
with no fixed boundaries. Many works also cross into multiple genres. In general there are three types of
genre: 1. Focus on a setting (like science fiction works, Victorian romances, etc.) 2. Focus on a mood (like
comedy or action) 3. Focus on a format (like non-fiction…or musicals!) So, if a musical is in and of itself a
genre, how can we distinguish between the term’s other definition – a traditional division of an art form
that is separated by various forms. That is to say popular forms of art – classical, Greek, contemporary or
pop – all inform how works of art are created and perceived.

What genre does Little Women belong to? Technically, the period the book was written was considered
the “Victorian” genre – marked by ideas of “proper” living and moral ideas. However, the Victorian
genre is now often regarded as one of many contradictions. It is easy for many to see a clash between
the widespread cultivation of an outward appearance of dignity and restraint, and the widespread
presence of many arguably deplorable phenomena. During its height, (1837-1901), industrialization and
larger-scale warfare produced legions of destitute workers, a history of child labor and exploitation of
lower classes. The book was written in 1868, and reflects the lives of four sisters 1864-1867. The story is
semi-autobiographical, yet reflects other artistic sentiments blossoming during the late Victorian genre.
Artists of all types (painters, musicians, writer) were reflecting on the hypocrisy of the era, and began
expressing in various forms their displeasure with their contemporary forms of politics and economics.
Whereas we do not consider Louisa May Alcott to be a “revolutionary,” she did test the boundaries of
how women were represented in works of art.

There will be no harm . . . in trying your hand at various kinds of writing. You do not know
your own powers, may be, and if you do not place your hopes high you can not suffer
great disappointment if you fail to please. In order to secure a reading for your
manuscript use a little business sense in preparing it. If you have a reputation already
established it matters not upon what you write nor how careless your penmanship, it will
be published, otherwise it is necessary to observe the following rules: Write as plainly as
possible, on one side of the paper only; be very particular as to spelling, punctuation and
capitalization; use good paper and black ink. If you send your communication to a
strange paper enclose stamps sufficient for its return if not accepted. Make no apology
for writing it, but in as few words as possible request an examination of the manuscript
and its publication if acceptable, or its return if not. If you have exhibited real literary
power it will soon be discovered; if you have not the person who rejects your manuscript
has done you a favor. Source: "An Old Practitioner."
The Mother's Guide and Daughter's Friend. Indianapolis, Ind.: Normal Publishing
House, 1890. Page 507.

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UNITED STATES HISTORY OF THE LATE 1800s

1830 Christian (Evangelical) revivals – religious gatherings that lasted for days – are prevalent
throughout the northern United States. These revivals promoted the idea that women were to serve
their husbands, among the overt religious messages. 1833 The American Anti-Slavery Society is
organized.

1834 New York Female Reform Society (whose mission was to reform “wayward women” and lead the
spiritually poor) was founded; Female workers at the Lowell Mills in Massachusetts stage their first
strike.

1847 After an economic depression 1839-1843, several religious and artistic communities form their
own utopian communes throughout the northeast and promote ideas of equality and freedom beyond
the “expected” ideas of political and religious freedom in the United States.

1848 Seneca Falls (NY) Convention outlines a program for women’s rights.

1850 The first national women’s rights convention is held in Worcester, Massachusetts (roughly 30 miles
west of Concord)

1852 Harriet Beecher Stowe (a contemporary writer to Louisa May Alcott) published Uncle Tom’s Cabin,
which crystallized abolitionist sentiments against slavery.

1860 Democratic Party splits into northern and southern factions. The Constitutional Union party forms.
Abraham Lincoln is elected president over Southern Democratic candidate John C. Breckenridge (among
other candidates).

1861 Harriet Jacobs publishes Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. The Lower South secedes from the
Union. Fort Sumter is bombarded, Civil War begins. (Did you know? The Civil War began more as a battle
to reunify the United States? After the Emancipation Proclamation in January 1863, and in an attempt to
boost the Union Army’s morale, the focus on the Civil War re-shifted its focus to abolishing slavery?)

1862 U.S. paper money is printed for the first time. To help pay for the Civil War, the U.S. Congress
establishes the Bureau of Internal Revenue. Port Royal Experiment of returning land to freed black
slaves begins. 1863 Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address. Union Army draft riots in New York. Louisa
May Alcott publishes Hospital Sketches. Large cities begin to receive free home delivery of mail. New
York City draft riots.

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1864 Lincoln re-elected. Alexander Graham Bell and his brother develop a “speaking automaton.”
Quadruplex Telegraph invented by Thomas Edison. Railroads hook on mail cars. General Grant takes
control of all Union troops.

1865 Federal troops take over Richmond, VA and General Lee surrenders to Grant at Appomattox Court
House. Lincoln is assassinated. Andrew Johnson succeeds to the presidency and unveils his
Reconstruction plan. Louisa May Alcott publishes Moods.

1866 Reconstruction Era begins in the South. The National Labor Union advocates an eight-hour
workday. Black Codes developed in the South to rebel against Reconstruction. 1867 The 14th
Amendment is passed, whereby “citizen” is defined as “male” – this is the first use of the word “male” in
the Constitution.

1868 Little Women is published. The New England Woman Suffrage Association is formed after women
are denied the right to be included as voters in the 15th Amendment.

Sources:
http://www.littlewomenonbroadway.com/StudyGuide.pdf

Louisa May Alcott

She was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania on November 29,

1832. She had three sisters (Anna, Elizabeth and May) - all
were educated by their father, philosopher/ teacher, Bronson
Alcott. She spent her childhood in Boston and in Concord,
Massachusetts. In addition to her father’s lessons, she
learned about the world through visits to Ralph Waldo
Emerson’s library, excursions into nature with Henry David
Thoreau and theatricals in the barn at Hillside (now
Hawthorne’s "Wayside").

Much like her character, Jo March in Little Women, Louisa

was a tomboy: She once said that "no boy could be my friend
till I had beaten him in a race," she claimed, " and no girl if
she refused to climb trees, leap fences...." In addition to racing boys and climbing trees, Louisa loved to
write stories. She had a rich imagination and often her stories became melodramas that she and her
sisters would act out for friends. In keeping with her feisty spirit, Louisa played the villains, ghosts,

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bandits, and evil queens in her productions rather than the “softer” characters. The Alcotts were not a
wealthy family. Louisa had dreams, however, and although the times she lived in offered little
opportunity for women to independently earn money, she nevertheless decided to become
independent and in her words “make my way through this rough and tumble world."

Louisa’s career as an author began with poetry and short stories that appeared in popular magazines. In
1854, her first book Flower Fables was published. A milestone along her literary path was Hospital
Sketches (1863) based on the letters she had written home from her post as a nurse in Washington, DC
as a nurse during the Civil War. When Louisa was 35 years old, she was asked to write "a book for girls."
Little Women was written from May to July 1868. The novel is based on Louisa and her sisters’ coming of
age and is set in Civil War New England. Louisa created Jo March, who was the first American young
heroine to act from her own individuality; a living, breathing person rather than the idealized stereotype
then prevalent in children’s fiction.

Louisa published over 30 books and collections of stories. She died on March 6, 1888, only two days
after her father, and is buried in Concord, MA.

Overview of Women’s Rights Movement:

A WOMAN’S RIGHTS PRE 1920:

A Woman's gender and marital status were the primary
determinants of her legal standing in America from 1800 to 1850.
By custom and law she did not enjoy all of the rights of
citizenship. In the legal realm women were decidedly dependent,
subservient, and unequal. National and state constitutions did not
mention of women.
Women were not allowed to vote or
hold office.
Rights for which the Revolutionary
War was fought were denied
women – as they were to slaves,
"lunatics," and "idiots."

Further exacerbating the situation, rights normally enjoyed by

women were often taken away when she married. A woman gave
up so many civil and property rights upon marrying that she was
said to be entering a state of "civil death."

These Things Not My Own:

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Under common law, a single woman had few special strictures placed upon her property rights.
Once married a woman's property usually went to her husband with the whispering of the "I
do." The man "assumed absolute ownership of his wife's personal property," and for all
practical purposes, her real estate as well. He also gained control of any wages or other income
accrued by his wife. Technically, this meant that a man could do anything he wished with his
wife's material possessions. He could sell them, give them away, or simply destroy them as was
his wont. Married women were also forbidden to convey (sell, give, or will) any of their
property without their husband’s permission. How strictly this was adhered to depended upon
the couple. Each was different and, like today, decision-making was shared to varying degrees.
Legally, however, the husband had the final say.

Women’s Rights Movement:

THE ABOLITIONISTS AND THE SUFFRAGISTS:
The campaign for women’s suffrage began in earnest in the decades before the Civil War.
During the 1820s and 30s, most states had extended voting rights to all white men, regardless
of how much money or property they had. At the same time, all sorts of reform groups were
proliferating across the United States–temperance clubs, religious movements and moral-
reform societies, anti-slavery organizations–and in many of these, women played a prominent
role. Meanwhile, many American women were beginning to chafe against what historians have
called the “Cult of True Womanhood”: that is, the idea that the only “true” woman was a pious,
submissive wife and mother concerned exclusively with home and family. Put together, all of
these contributed to a new way of thinking about what it meant to be a woman and a citizen in
the United States.

Learn more about the

Leaders of the Women’s Rights Movement:
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Lucretia Mott
Susan B. Anthony

In 1848, a group of abolitionist activists–mostly women, and some

men, including Frederick Douglas, gathered in Seneca Falls, New
York to discuss the problem of women’s rights.
Most of the delegates agreed: American women were autonomous
individuals who deserved their own political identities. “We hold

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these truths to be self-evident,” proclaimed the Declaration of Sentiments that the delegates
produced, “that all men and women are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator
with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
What this meant, among other things, was that they believed women should have the right to
vote.

CIVIL WAR & WOMEN’S RIGHTS:

With the onset of the American Civil War (1861-65), the suffrage movement lost some
momentum, as many women turned their attention to assisting in efforts related to the conflict
between the states. After the war, woman suffrage endured another setback, when the
women’s rights movement found itself divided over the issue of voting rights for black men.
Stanton and some other suffrage leaders objected to the proposed 15th Amendment to the
U.S. Constitution, which would give black men the right to vote, but failed to extend the same
privilege to American women of any skin color. In 1869, Stanton and Anthony formed the
National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) with their eyes on a federal constitutional
amendment that would grant women the right to vote. Others argued that it was unfair to
endanger black enfranchisement by tying it to the markedly less popular campaign for female
suffrage. This pro-15th-Amendment faction formed a group called the American Woman
Suffrage Association and fought for the franchise on a state-by-state basis.

THE PROGRESSIVE CAMPAIGN FOR SUFFRAGE:

This animosity eventually faded, and in 1890 the two groups merged to form the National
American Woman Suffrage Association. (Elizabeth Cady Stanton was the organization’s first
president.) By then, the suffragists’ approach had changed. Instead of arguing that women
deserved the same rights and responsibilities as men because women and men were “created
equal,” the new generation of activists argued that women deserved the vote because they
were different from men. They could make their domesticity into a political virtue, using the
franchise to create a purer, more moral “maternal commonwealth.”

WINNING THE VOTE AT LAST

Starting in 1910, some states in the West began to extend the vote to women for the first time
in almost 20 years. (Idaho and Utah had given women the right to vote at the end of the 19th
century.) Still, the more established Southern and Eastern states resisted. In 1916, NAWSA
president Carrie Chapman Catt unveiled what she called a “Winning Plan” to get the vote at
last: a blitz campaign that mobilized state and local suffrage organizations all over the country,
with special focus on those recalcitrant regions. (Meanwhile, a splinter group called the

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National Women’s Party focused on more radical, militant tactics–hunger strikes and White
House pickets, for instance–aimed at winning dramatic publicity for their cause.)
World War I slowed the suffragists’ campaign but helped them advance their argument
nonetheless: Women’s work on behalf of the war effort, activists pointed out, proved that they
were just as patriotic and deserving of citizenship as men, and on August 26, 1920, the 19th
Amendment to the Constitution was finally ratified

Sources:

http://www.factmonster.com/spot/womenstimeline1.html
http://www.history.com/topics/womens-history/19th-amendment

******************************************************************************
*************
In case you’re interested you can find the full declaration of sentiments from the first meeting at
Seneca falls here: The Declaration of Sentiments
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0875901.html#ixzz3aXk3MsGl

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/seneca-falls-convention-begins

Video about early Women's Rights Protesters

Basic Etiquette and Manners

Emily Thornwell was a noted social advisor in America during the nineteenth century. Here are a few
nuggets of behavioral wisdom she passed on at the time:

For the Ladies:

Gait and Carriage
"A lady ought to adopt a modest and measured gait; too great hurry injures the grace which ought to
characterize her. She should not turn her head on one side and on the other, especially in large towns or
cities, where this bad habit seems to be an invitation to the impertinent. A lady should not present
herself alone in a library, or a museum, unless she goes there to study, or work as an artist.
Gentlemen's attendance. - After twilight, a young lady would not be conducting herself in a becoming
manner, by walking alone; and if she passes the evening with anyone, she ought, beforehand, to provide
someone to come for her at a stated hour; but if this is not practicable, she should politely ask of the
person whom she is visiting, to permit a servant to accompany her."

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Attentions to Others
When you are passing in the street, and see coming towards you a person of your acquaintance,
whether a lady or an elderly person, you should offer them the wall, that is to say, the side next the
houses. If a carriage should happen to stop, in such a manner as to leave only a narrow passage
between it and the houses, beware of elbowing and rudely crowding the passengers, with a view to get
by more expeditiously; wait your turn, and if any one of the persons before mentioned comes up, you
should edge up to the wall, in order to give them the place. They also, as they pass, should bow politely
to you.

Raising the Dress

When tripping over the pavement, a lady should gracefully raise her dress a little above her ankle. With
the right hand, she should hold together the folds of her gown, and draw them towards the right side.
To raise the dress on. both sides, and with both hands, is vulgar. This ungraceful practice can only be
tolerated for a moment, when the mud is very deep.

Speaking to Your Husband

A lady should not say "my husband," except among intimates; in every other case she should address
him by his name, calling him "Mr." It is equally proper, except on occasions of ceremony, and while she
is quite young, to designate him by his christian name.
Never use the initial of a person's name to designate him; as "Mr. P.," "Mr. L.," etc. Nothing is so odious
as to hear a lady speak of her husband, or, indeed, anyone else, as "Mr. B."
How a lady should be spoken of by her husband. - It is equally improper for a gentleman to say "my
wife," except among very intimate friends; he should mention her as "Mrs. So-and-so." When in private,
the expression "my dear," or merely the christian name, is considered in accordance with the best usage
among the more refined.

For the Gentlemen:

“One important key point for gentlemen to keep in mind were that ladies of the day were feminine,
gentle, considered and admired. Gentlemen always thought of women first.

For example, simple gestures like the following were accepted: “May I open the door for you?” “Please,
have my seat.” “Madame, my I take your coat?” Lastly, gentlemen bows to a lady after tipping off his
hat were social norms of the day. Above all, escorting the lady to and from the dance floor was good
behavior. It was unthinkable to leave a lady in a dance set while the gentleman was off running to the
next lady! Gentleman, remember to thank your lady before and after the dance. This shows respect
and honorable characteristics.

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Foremost, always wear clean gloves. Extra pairs are helpful and strongly encouraged. Leaving an oily
stain on a person’s clothes was simply disgraceful, not to mention, disrespectful. Both men and women
need to wear gloves. For men not only does it look dashing along with fine attire but also helps reduce
oily hands. Women wear different types of gloves depending on the style, length and color in regards to
their clothes. Nothing looks more spectacular and glamorous with a lady in a beautiful gown with
matching gloves.”

ALWAYS:
● Wear gloves on the street, in church & other formal occasions, except when eating or drinking
● White or cream colored gloves for evening
● Gray or other darker colors for day wear
● Stand up when a lady enters a room (or your presence in a large room)
● Stand up when a lady stands
● Offer a lady your seat if no others are available
● Assist a lady with her chair when she sits down or stands, especially when at a table or when the
chairs are small and light
● Retrieve dropped items for a lady
● Open doors for a lady
● Help a lady with her coat, cloak, shawl, etc.
● Offer to bring a lady refreshments if they are available
● Offer your arm to escort a lady (with whom you are acquainted) into or out of a building or a
room at all social events, and whenever walking on uneven ground
● Remove your hat when entering a building
● Lift your hat to a lady when she greets you in public (Merely touching the brim or a slight "tip" of
the hat was very rude)
NEVER
● Refer to another person by their first name in public
● Curse or discuss "impolite" subjects when ladies are present
● Leave a lady you know unattended, except with permission
● Use tobacco in any form when ladies are present
● Greet a lady in public unless she acknowledges you first (see "Always" #12)
● Eat or drink while wearing gloves

Additional tidbits for the distinguishing person:

1. Ladies should refer to the gentlemen as “Mr.” and not by their first name or surname. While in
public these conversations should even be shown towards her spouse.

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2. For gentlemen address a married lady as “Mrs.”; unmarried lady as “Miss”. Address his wife as
“Mrs.”

3. When addressing a military officer, a person should refer to him as to his rank. When in doubt,
use “Mr.” (i.e., Captain Smith or Mr. Smith).

4. Look and listen to the person whom you are speaking to.

5. Never walk away from someone or a conversation without first saying “excuse me”, or “I beg
your pardon.”

6. While in public when a gentleman sees a lady he knows, he should tip his hat and nod a greeting
to her saying: “Good day, Ma’am”, “Ma’am”, or ”Good day, Mrs. Alison.” It is then up to the lady
if she desires to return the courtesy with either a nod or stopping to engage in conversation with
the gentleman.

7. A gentleman never shakes a lady’s hand in public unless she offers her hand first.

8. If a lady has a veil drawn over her face (whether widows weeds or a fashionable traveling veil), a
gentleman should respect her privacy by simply nodding, lifting his hat and walking on.

9. If a gentleman sees a lady carrying parcels or baggage, offer to carry them for for even if she is a
stranger. It will then be up to the lady if she wishes to recognize you, should you meet again.

10. Gentleman should always offer his seat for a lady.

11. Gentleman should offer to pick up a dropped object or ask if she needs assistance.

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12. Ladies should NEVER smoke in public; it is unfeminine.

13. A lady always walks or dances to her left side of the gentleman. While walking do not link arms,
but instead, the lady should rest her left hand on his right hand.

14. A gentlemen always extends his right hand to the lady and places his left hand behind his back
while escorting her to and from the dance floor.

15. While walking in a crowded room, a gentleman should always work in front of the lady to clear
her path of obstacles or to find an available chair for her.

16. While walking on a stairways, a gentleman will walk in front of lady in order to break her fall and
not to overstep on her gown.

17. If a gentleman is in a hurry and needs to pass in front of a lady, he should tip his hat and say,
“Pardon me” or “With your permission.”

18. If a lady directs a question to a gentleman, he should lift his hat as an acknowledgment of her
and answer her question at once. If he does not have the requested information, he should
express his regrets by saying, “I regret I do not have the answer, Ma’am.”

19. A special note to remember: If in the course of conversation, a lady repeatedly interjects the
word “Sir” at the end of the sentence, she is being exceptionally reserved towards the
gentleman. It is usually a sign that she does not desire his acquaintance; she is merely being
polite.

ETIQUETTE WHEN GIVING A BALL.

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If you cannot afford to give a ball in good style, you had better not attempt it at all. Having made up your mind to
give a ball and to do justice to the occasion, and having settled upon the time, the next thing is to decide whom and
how many to invite. In deciding upon the number a due regard must be paid to the size of the rooms; and after
allowance for a reasonable number who may not accept the invitation, there should be no more invited than can
find comfortable accommodations, both sitting and standing-room being taken into account, and at the same time
have the floor properly free for dancing. The more guests you have the more brilliant, and the fewer you have the
more enjoyable, will the occasion be. Any number over a hundred guests constitutes a "large ball;" under fifty it is
merely a "dance."

CHOICE OF ATTIRE: Certain fashionables seek to gain a kind of reputation by the odd choice of their attire, and by
their eagerness to seize upon the first caprices of the fashions. Propriety with difficulty tolerates these fancies of a
spoiled child; but it applauds a woman of sense and taste, who is not in a hurry to follow the fashions, and asks how
long they will last, before adopting them; finally, who selects and modifies them with success according to her size
and figure.

REFUSING TO DANCE: A lady cannot refuse the invitation of a gentleman to dance, unless she has already accepted
that of another, for she would be guilty of an incivility which might occasion trouble; she would, moreover, seem to
show contempt for him whom she refused, and would expose herself to receive in secret an ill compliment from the
mistress of the house.

TALKING TOO MUCH: Ladies should avoid talking too much; it will occasion remarks. It has also a bad appearance to
whisper continually in the ear of your partner.

DUTIES OF LADIES.: Ladies who dance much, should be very careful not to boast before those who dance but little or
not at all, of the great number of dances for which they are engaged in advance. They should also, without being
perceived, recommend to these less fortunate ladies, gentlemen of their acquaintance.

GENERAL RULES FOR A BALL-ROOM: (1) A lady will not cross a ball-room unattended. (2) A gentleman will not take a
vacant seat next to a lady who is a stranger to him. If she is an acquaintance, he may do so with her permission. (3)
When a gentleman escorts a lady home from a ball, she should not invite him to enter the house; and even if she
does so, he should by all means decline the invitation. he should call upon her during the next day or evening. (4)
Any presentation to a lady in a public ball-room, for the mere purpose of dancing, does not entitle you to claim her
acquaintance afterwards; therefore, should you meet her, at most you may lift your hat; but even that is better
avoided - unless, indeed, she first bow - as neither she nor her friends can know who or what you are.

Sources:

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/ladiesetiquette1859.htm
http://home.earthlink.net/~gchristen/Etiquette.html
http://civilwardancesociety.tripod.com/CWDS_Social_Graces.html
http://www.littlewomenonbroadway.com/StudyGuide.pdf
Manners, Culture and Dress of the Best American Society. By Richard A. Wells, A.M. King, Richardson &: Co.,

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Publishers. Springfield, Mass.; Cincinnati; Sacramento; Dallas, Texas. 1893.

The Civil War

The Civil War, also known as “The War Between the States,” was fought between the United States of
America and the Confederate States of America, a collection of eleven southern states that left the Union
in 1860 and 1861 and formed their own country in order to protect the institution of slavery. Jefferson
Davis, a former U.S. Senator and Secretary of War, was appointed President of the Confederate States of
America. The United States thought that the southern states were wrong to leave the Union and initiated
a war that raged across the country for four years. In 1865, the United States defeated the Confederate
States and abolished slavery nation-wide.

Civil War Timeline:

Civil War Facts: 1861-1865

The Union included the states of Maine, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts,
Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Wisconsin,
Minnesota, Iowa, California, Nevada, and Oregon. Abraham Lincoln was their President.
The Confederacy included the states of Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama,
Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. Jefferson Davis was their President.
Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, Kentucky and Missouri were called Border States.

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ON THE HOMEFRONT
Finance
On the homefront, the Union had $234,000,000 in bank deposit and coined money or specie while the

Confederacy had $74,000,000 and the Border States had $29,000,000.

Populations
The population of the Union was 18.5 million. In the Confederacy, the population was listed as 5.5 million
free and 3.5 million enslaved. In the Border States there were 2.5 million free inhabitants and 500,000
enslaved people.
Agriculture
With the exception of rice and tobacco, the Union had a clear agricultural advantage. Particularly horses:
the Union had twice that of the Confederacy, 3.4 million to the CSA's 1.7.

MILITARY
Enlistment Strength
Enlistment strength for the Union Army is 2,672,341 which can be broken down as:
· 2,489,836 white soldiers

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· 178,975 African American soldiers
· 3,530 Native American troops
Enlistment strength for the Confederate Army ranges from 750,000 to 1,227,890. Soldier demographics for
the Confederate Army are not available due to incomplete and destroyed enlistment records.
Civilian Occupations
Farmers comprised 48 percent of the civilian occupations in the Union.
Others included mechanics, 24 percent; laborers, 16 percent;
commercial, 5 percent; miscellaneous, 4 percent; and professional
occupations, 3 percent.
Farmers comprised 69 percent of the civilian occupations in the
Confederacy. Others included laborers, 9 percent; mechanics, 5.3
percent; commercial, 5 percent; professional occupations, 2.1 percent;
and miscellaneous, 1.6 percent.

Bloodiest Battles
The bloodiest battles of the Civil War were:
· Gettysburg: 51,116 casualties
· Seven Days: 36,463 casualties
· Chickamauga: 34,624 casualties
· Chancellorsville: 29,609 casualties
· Antietam: 22,726 casualties
Note: Antietam had the greatest number of casualties of any single-day battle.
Troop Strength
In July 1861, the two armies were nearly equal in strength with less than 200,000 soldiers on each side;
however at the peak of troop strength in 1863, Union soldiers outnumbered Confederate soldiers by a
ratio of 2 to 1. The size of Union forces in January 1863 totaled over 600,000. Two years later, that number
had not changed dramatically for the Union Army but had dropped to about 200,000 for the Confederate
Army.

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Casualties
The 642,427 total Union casualties have been divided accordingly:
· 110,100 killed in battle
· 224,580 diseases
· 275,174 wounded in action
· 30,192 prisoners of war
The 483,026 total Confederate casualties have been divided accordingly:
· 94,000 killed in battle
· 164,000 diseases
· 194,026 wounded in action
· 31,000 prisoners of war
Prisoners
Of the 211,411 Union soldiers captured 16,668 were paroled on the field and 30,218 died in prison. Of the
462,634 Confederate soldiers captured 247,769 were paroled on the field and 25,976 died in prison. The
mortality rate for prisoners of war was 15.5 percent for Union soldiers and 12 percent for Confederate
soldiers.

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Massachusetts and the Civil War:
Most people know that the American Revolution began in Boston. But many people don’t know that the
nation’s Civil War – the war that ended slavery – also began in Boston. Led by William Lloyd Garrison, a
group of Boston abolitionists, black and white, male and female, organized an unrelenting campaign
against southern slavery. They were determined to lead a Second American Revolution to force the nation
to live up to the promises of liberty and equality contained in the Declaration of Independence. When war
came, Boston remained at the forefront: the first Union soldiers to die were Massachusetts men killed at
the “Lexington of 1861.” Boston’s soldiers included descendants of Revolutionary War patriots, members
of the first black regiment raised in the North, and newly-arrived Irish immigrants. Women activists
opposed both slavery and their own lack of legal rights.

Once hostilities began, Massachusetts supported the war

effort in several significant ways, sending 159,165 men to
serve in the army and navy. One of the best known
Massachusetts units was the 54th Massachusetts
Volunteer Infantry, the first regiment of African American
soldiers (led by white officers). Additionally, a number of
important generals came from Massachusetts, including
Maj. Gen.Joseph Hooker, who commanded the Army of the
Potomac in 1863, as well as Edwin V. Sumner and Darius N.
Couch, who both successively commanded the II Corps.

The state also made important contributions to relief efforts. Many leaders of nursing and soldiers' aid
organizations hailed from Massachusetts, including Dorothea Dix, founder of the Army Nurses Bureau,
Henry Whitney Bellows, founder of the United States Sanitary Commission, and independent nurse Clara
Barton.

Civil War Letter:

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Washington City, D. C.
Sunday, Dec. 14th 1862
Dear Mother and family.
I will take the pensil to let you know we are all well. At present hoping this will find you in the same. we let
White Hall Station on Thursday about 4 Clock in the afternoon and got into Washington about 4 o clock in
the morning on Friday whitch maid about 12 hours on the way, we then stay ther untill yesterday when we
had orders to march about 6.5 miles and when I heard this I went to the head doctor ast him what I would
do for I know that I could not carry my knapsack, so he told me that I would have to stay hear and so all
them that could not stand the march was sent to the hospitle. Ther was 10 out of our Companny and that
was myself and a nother young man, we did not hear the name of the place that they wer going to, but
both James and Bob said that they would wright as soon as they wer sitteled that is they would wright
home to you, ther is abut 50 sick and wounded in the department that I am in, I think that I will not be in
hear very long, for I will try and get eather home or get to my Regiment for I don't like this very well, it is
not because I am not treated well for it is six times better than I expected but I canot be contented a way
from my companny, my arm is about the same, I wright this mearley to let you know something about
myselve for I canot say anything about the others now but I will have to stope so no more at present but
reman your son and Brother.
Francis M. Russell
Address your letter to Stanton Hosepittle, Washington City. C.C.
I wish you would send me some postige stamps as we have not got paid yet, my money has run ashore and
I want to wright some and so on.
Yours, F. M. R.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts_in_the_American_Civil_War
http://www.nps.gov/civilwar/facts.htm
http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/10-facts-about-the-civil-war/
http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/civil-war-overview/overview.html

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Just a Bit about Scarlet Fever

Simply hearing Scarlet Fever, and knowing that it was present in the community, was enough to strike fear
into the hearts of those living in Victorian-era United States and Europe. This disease, even when not
deadly, caused large amounts of suffering to those infected. In the worst cases, all of a family’s children
were killed in a matter of a week or two. Indeed, up until early in the 20th century, scarlet fever was a

common condition among children.

From the The 1871 Family Medical Guide:

SCARLET FEVER, OR SCARLATINA.

This is another very infectious fever, causing an eruption on the skin, and ulcers in the throat.
Some wish to limit the term scarlatina to the severe forms of the disease, but as this and scarlet fever are generally
considered synonymous, we shall take them as being so.

This disease, like measles, occurs generally only once during life, but there are exceptions to this rule, and it is
noticed that second attacks are mild.

The poison of scarlatina is exceedingly virulent, and it is impossible to say at what stage it may cease to be
contagious. An instance occurred in the circle of my own acquaintance, in which the trunk of a medical student who

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died in Edinburgh, which contained part of his dress that had never been worn by him during his fever,
communicated scarlatina to a family in Ireland, although the clothes were freely exposed to the open air before they
were worn, and might be supposed to have been purified by the sea voyage.

A high temperature, I believe, is the only certain means of destroying the contagion that lurks in apparel of any kind,
especially of the woollen fabric. It should be steamed in an oven heated to 220° Fahr. for two hours, and this does
not singe or injure the material.

Scarlatina appears in three forms: the first, or mildest, affecting the skin with slight rash, and merely a blush on the
fauces, or throat; the second, more severe, affecting the skin, and with slight ulcers in the throat; and the third,
called malignant, in which the throat is deeply ulcerated.

The most suddenly fatal cases under my care were those in which the disease commenced with inflammation of the
membranes of the brain, and violent delirium, in which the dose of the poison seemed to be so great that the
constitution was overpowered, and could not rally.

The first symptoms of the disease are a sensation of chilliness, amounting in some cases to a rigor or shivering,
accompanied with nausea, irritability of temper, and depression of spirits.

The eruption on the forehead and face appears earlier than in measles—about the second day ; and it is
distinguished from measles by being less florid in colour.

In scarlet fever, also, the eyes are not weak, nor have we the hoarse cough as in measles, while the throat is always
more or less affected, the tonsils being generally ulcerated at an early period.

Treatment.—In the treatment of this and every other fever, the first thing to be done is to put the patient to bed, for
the reasons given in the article on measles. And as the cuticle exfoliates very largely in this fever, the patient should
remain in bed until the cuticle is tolerably restored, which will be two weeks after the eruption disappears from the
surface.
Those who are exposed to changes of temperature earlier than that are always subject to anasarca (dropsy of the
cellular membrane), or else to fatal dropsy of the chest.

Most of the unfavourable recoveries in my practice were from cases so mild that parents could not be persuaded to
confine their children to bed a sufficient length of time to allow the cuticle to grow again, or the poison of the fever
to be perfectly eliminated from the constitution. And to the same cause, together with the use of solid animal food
before the stomach is in a fit state to receive it, may be attributed the relapses and bad consequences resulting from
fevers.

In mild attacks, having given half a grain of podophyllin with ten grains of Epsom salts, to carry off the bile, the
bowels should be regulated afterwards with two grains of aloes and ten of salts given in treacle, at night, when
required. The patient should be confined to bed in a well-aired room, with covering sufficient to retain warmth ; and

21
get toast-, barley-, or rice-water, or rennet whey, with five grains of nitre, and half a teaspoonful of the acetate of
ammonia, in such drink, every three hours, alternately, if the patient be below ten years; and ten grains of nitre, and
one teaspoonful of the acetate of ammonia, every three hours, alternately, if above ten years of age.

In severe cases, when the throat is ulcerated, in addition to the nitre and ammonia, the carbonate of which is
preferable, being given in two- to five-grain doses, sufficiently diluted, the ulcers in the throat should be brushed
with a solution of nitrate of silver, ten grains to the ounce of water, applied by a large camel's-hair pencil night and
morning; and if the salivary glands below the jaw become enlarged and painful, they should be covered with a
plaster of iodide of-lead ointment (two drachms of the iodide to the ounce of rendered suet), spread on soft leather,
and supported by a narrow ribbon or tape over the head.
Toast-, barley-, or rice-water, or rennet whey, is sufficient muris-hment for the first three or four days; but after that
the patient requires to be supported with chicken broth, beef- or mutton-tea, given once or twice a day, the former
drink being continued, together with the nitre and ammonia, which latter acts as an antidote to the poison of
scarlatina.

When the throat is much affected the fever is always higher, and determination to the brain is apt to supervene. As
soon as heat of head or delirium indicates this, the hair should at once be shaved off entirely. Any attempt to retain
it is futile, as it must fall after the fever, and its presence imperils life.

After being shaved the head should be elevated a little, and kept constantly cool by rags wet with cold water often
renewed, or by ice in a bladder or oiled silk. The feet should be carefully attended to, and kept warm by a foot pan of
hot water rolled in flannel; and care must be taken that the bladder and bowels be emptied at proper intervals—the
bladder every six hours, and the bowels once in twenty-four hours. Sponging the patient frequently with tepid water
is very serviceable.

In the malignant form, when the throat is deeply ulcerated, and of a livid hue, with little appearance of eruption on
the skin, the solution of the nitrate of silver should be stronger (thirty grains to the ounce of water), to be applied by
a camel's-hair brush to the throat, night and morning; and before applying the caustic the discharge on the ulcers
and throat should be carefully cleaned off by a piece of sponge or soft rag.

In severe cases, when the brain suffers, some apply leeches, others take blood from the arm, and a few blister. From
two to six leeches applied behind or below the ears, on each side, relieve the head symptoms, and are serviceable ;
but the lancet and blisters I would dissuade, having never been convinced of their benefit.

The prostration of strength in this form of the disease is always alarming, and should be counteracted by nourishing
drinks or fluid food, as beef-tea, mutton-tea, chicken well bruised and boiled in vacuo, in a bottle without water and
well corked; and Liebig's essence of meat. One of these should be given every three hours; with five grains of the
carbonate of ammonia for an adult, and two grains for a child.

Stimulants, as wine and brandy, are preferred by many; but they are far inferior to the ammonia, which has a specific
effect in counteracting the poison of this fever.

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The amount of poison in the system seems, however, so great in many cases that it must prove fatal in despite of
remedies; and none but the best constitutions can recover from the malignant form of this fever, which often
destroys life on the third or fourth day.

The longer the patient holds out after that, our hopes of recovery increase; and after the ninth day we may calculate
on convalescence.

The consequences of this fever are always to be dreaded, and too much care cannot be taken.

The inflammation often extends from the throat to the ear by the internal passage behind the tonsils, and causes
inflammation of the drum of the ear, which is destroyed, and with it the power of hearing.

An ichorous discharge from the nostrils also irritates the upper lip, and the eyelids suffer from discharge from the
eyes, while the lips and mucous membrane of the mouth are often excoriated. To improve these a saturated
solution of borax (as much as water will dissolve) applied by a camel's-hair brush to the excoriated parts, and
injected into the ear by a small syringe, is efficient.

Tonics in some form are always necessary for patients recovering from scarlatina. For children, the solution of the
perchloride of iron (five drops in a wineglass full of sugar and water), after breakfast and dinner, generally suits well;
and ten or twenty drops would be the dose for adults with whom quinine disagrees. But for the latter quinine is
preferable unless it gives headache, which is seldom produced by half-grain doses, thrice a day after food.

The food should be light and easily digested, commencing with roast pullet or white fish; then the lean of good beef
or mutton, with stale bread or a mealy potato ; care being taken not to overload the stomach, than which nothing is
more certain to retard recovery.

As soon as the cuticle is restored, and the patient has got new boots and gloves (for the old scarf-skin is frequently
cast off like a slipper or old glove), if the weather be fine and the strength sufficient, to drive out in the open air is
salutary; but an attempt to walk must not be made too hastily.

A shower bath, tepid at first and cooled down gradually, is the best means of preparing the patient for exposure to
the open air and for change, which is very desirable ; the sea coast being preferable, if the season be suitable. But
sea-bathing should not be commenced sooner than a month after the eruption disappears. Up to that period the
shower bath or sponging, followed by friction, is much safer, and equally beneficial.

Some never recover perfectly after a severe attack of any fever; while others, formerly delicate, become stout, and
seem to get a new constitution; their nervous irritability, which formerly made them too susceptible of both internal
and external impressions, being reduced by the poison of the fever.

To prevent the spreading of this virulent fever is very important, and should be studiously attended to.

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Because belladonna, when taken into the stomach, produces, by sympathy, a rash on the skin, Hahnemann, the
homoeopathist, on his principle of like curing like, proclaimed belladonna a prophylactic for this fever, or a medicine
which, if taken by persons exposed to the disease, would render them proof against its contagion.

After many trials of this remedy, and much attention to its effects when given by others, I am obliged to say that I
place no confidence in it for this purpose. Indeed it seems equally consistent to imagine that diseased fish or bad
mushrooms, which, when eaten, produce a rash on the skin, should be a preventive for this fever.

Free ventilation in the sick apartment, perfect attention to cleanliness, and care not to inhale the breath or vapour
from the patient, are the surest means of escaping contagion.

The use of Condy's Disinfecting Fluid is also highly commendable, as it destroys unpleasant perfumes arising from
perspiration or otherwise ; but it should not be allowed to supersede attention to cleanliness, which must include
not only frequent changes of linen, but also the immediate removal of the patient's dejections and urine, which are
always offensive, and, no doubt, calculated to spread the contagion.

Sources:
http://historicaltidbits.blogspot.com/2010/02/scarlet-fever.html

About the Artists:

ALLAN KNEE (Book) has written for the stage and film. The film, Finding Neverland, starring Johnny Depp and Kate
Winslet, is based on his play, The Man Who Was Peter Pan. Syncopation won an American Theatre Critics Award
after premiering at the Long Wharf Theatre and George Street Playhouse. His other works include Shmulnik’s Waltz
(music by David Shire), Santa Anita ’42, The Jazz Age and Sholem Aleichem Lives, which toured with Theodore Bikel.
Little Women earned him a Richard Rodgers Musical Theatre Award. For young audiences he adapted Around the
World in 80 Days, which toured nationally for Theatreworks/ USA. For PBS he wrote the four-part adaptation of The
Scarlet Letter. He is currently working on a musical version of Finding Neverland. Allan is a graduate of the Yale
Drama School and a founding member of the WorkShop Theater Company and Naked Angels.

JASON HOWLAND (Music) is a 1993 graduate of Williams College with an honor’s degree in music composition. Last
season, Howland’s play Blessing in Disguise, written with Larry Pellegrini, premiered Off-Broadway. He was the music
director and conductor for the long running Broadway hit Jekyll & Hyde, musical supervisor for Broadway’s The
Scarlet Pimpernel and The Civil War, the final music director of Broadway’s Les Misérables and music director for
Broadway’s Taboo. Howland has a co-publishing deal with Cherry Lane Music Publishing, Inc., and is at work on two
other musicals, Mariel and Quickstep and is the creator of the Christmas event, The Metal Messiah.

MINDI DICKSTEIN (Lyrics) is currently writing a new musical commissioned by Playwrights Horizons in New York. Her

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songs were included in Lincoln Center’s American Songbook as part of Hear & Now: Contemporary Lyricists. Other
collaborative work: Notes Across a Small Pond, produced by the Bridewell Theater, London; Beasts and Saints, for
Boston Music Theatre Project, ASCAP Workshop and MTW; and several musicals for Theatreworks/USA. Her work
has been performed at NYTW, Playwrights Horizons, Second Stage, the Vineyard, the Women’s Project and
Cucaracha Theater. Awards include the Jonathan Larson Foundation Award, Second Stage Constance Klinsky Award,
ASCAP Bernice Cohen Award and New York Foundation for the Arts and Massachusetts Artists Foundation
playwriting fellowships. She received her MFA from New York University’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing
Program, where she was an Oscar Hammerstein Fellow. She is a member of ASCAP and The Dramatists Guild

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