Animals in Peace and War in Mid-Nineteenth Century America

While historians have often written about the role of animals in society and warfare, in this excellent new work Prof. Hess (Lincoln Memorial), has collected thirteen essays by eleven historians on the importance of animals in America in the era of the Civil War.

The purpose of the book is to raise the consciousness of scholars to the many ways in which animals – horses, cattle, mules, sheep, dogs, hogs, and others – were involved in the war and how the war affected them, giving us a look at their role in the massing, movement, and sustainment of the armies, while throwing light on the ways in which animals affected and were affected by the troops and civilians all across the nation, north and south. In the process, we see how both animals and humans were put under extreme duress during the fighting. It is thus a ground breaking first work to examine this interrelationship, and Prof. Hess and the authors look to see more such inter-disciplinary study in the future.

Naturally many animals served as food for both hungry soldiers and civilians. But animals also pulled artillery pieces and supply wagons, they allowed troops to serve as cavalry, carried officers, and often served as pets for the fighting men, and mascots for their regiments. And they often became casualties of war, as seen in photographs of the dead on battlefields, with men and horses often intermingled. This carnage cruelty, and that often inflicted on animals, from the beating of mules pulling wagons to the brutality of dog fighting, helped spark increased awareness among the population of the need for more humane treatment of animals.

Individual essays vary in their theme. Michael Woods opens with a look at the use of camels in the ante bellum Southwest, in part inspired by a desire to extending servitude to the region. Several papers deal with wartime mobilization of horses for military service. David Goleman discusses the military system for recruiting, training, and using horses and mules. Hess points out specific physical traits that were important in “recruiting” animals for the particular tasks they were to perform. Abraham Gibson delves into how the agriculture history and environment of the Confederacy affected the recruiting of horses and how this influenced the conduct of the war.

There follow some essays that look at the interrelationship of animals, humans, and environment. Hess examines possible links between wartime contact with wild animals, and the growing conservationist trend in the post bellum era. Mark Smith looks at the importance of bees to the general public and the ways insects affected soldiers. Jason Phillips reveals how nineteenth-century farming, free enterprise, and environmental science intertwined, to oppress both animals and people. And in another paper Prof. Hess looks at the importance of meat eating in the period, and its possible detrimental effects on the personnel and people of both sides.

The last two sections of the book deal with dogs and other animals during and after the war. Joan Cashin argues that dogs were weaponized by both sides, and that the fighting led to extremes in the relationship between men and dogs, and an increase in animal brutality. Lorien Foote discusses matters relating to dog control, with South Carolina as a case study, surveying patterns from the pre-war era through the war and on through Reconstruction. Brian Mathew Jordan examines pets and mascots in the Union Army, considering them as “historic actors” who tell us a story about the culture of regiments and the character of memory. Daniel Vanersommers focuses his investigation on the role of animals, familiar and exotic alike, in political discourse that following the war. The book concludes with a paper by Paula Tarankow in which she argues that animal-human relations were quite different in the North compared to the South due partly to the legacy of slavery.

Animal Histories of the Civil War Era, a volume in the LSU Series " Conflicting Worlds: New Dimensions of the American Civil War", is a very readable, well documented, excellent study, and deeply fascinating, which does a great job of revealing the role of animals and the relationship between them and people, during the war, and highly recommended for anyone interest in animals or the Civil War.

Note: Animal Histories of the Civil War Era is also available in e-editions.

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