The story of Sally Tompkins provides a vivid example of the important role women played during the Civil War. In this lesson, students will interpret the life of Captain Tompkins using primary and secondary sources, including photographs, monuments, and the text of Tompkin's obituary.

 

By examining the experiences of Sally Tompkins during the Civil War period, students will learn and understand the following concepts:

1. Women made important contributions to the war effort on the "homefront" during the Civil War period.

2. Women were provided with new opportunities as a result of the war.

3. The social and economic status of women changed, in some cases dramatically, as a result of the Civil War and its aftermath.

4. Primary sources, such as obituaries and photographs, can be examined to provide insight into the daily life of a particular historical era.

5. Monuments and other artifacts can be examined to provide insight into historical events and individuals.

 

1. Explain to students that Tompkins was the only woman commissioned as an officer in the Confederate army and that she operated a military hospital in Richmond during the Civil War. Then instruct students to read the biography article "Captain Sally Tompkins: Angel of the Confederacy," which begins this lesson. After they have read the article, lead a class discussion using the following questions:

1. What factors led President Davis to commission Tompkins as a captain in the Confederate army? Why was this considered so remarkable at the time?
   

2. What factors helped Tompkins become so successful in her position at Robertson Hospital?
   

3. What personal traits did Tompkins possess that contributed to her success at Robertson Hospital?
   

4. Sally Tompkins's family is known to have owned slaves and Sally's cook at the hospital, Mammy Phoebe, was a long-time Tompkins family slave. How does this change your opinion of Captain Tompkins? Should she be judged by current standards or the standards of her own day?
   

5. What factors may have led Tompkins to remain single until her death in 1916? Why would she not marry, even though she was a wealthy and socially prominent woman?
   

6. What question would you like to ask Captain Tompkins? What questions were raised or left unanswered by the article?
   

2. Distribute copies of the primary source document, "Obituary of Captain Sally Tompkins". Tell students that historians often refer to obituaries for historical information. Instruct them to read the document and then lead a class discussion using the following questions:

1. What is the tone of this document? What words are used to describe Tompkins?
   

2. What was the attitude of the people of Richmond toward Tompkins? How is this revealed in the document?
   

3. What does this document say about life in the United States at the time it was written?
   

4. Why are obituaries such as this one important sources of information for historians?
   

3. Have students study the following images of Captain Sally Tompkins included with this article:

1. Portrait of Sally Tompkins (Figure 1.) from the Museum of the Confederacy.
   

2. Stained glass window of Sally Tompkins from St. James Episcopal Church in Richmond (Figure 3.).
   

3. Detail from stained glass window showing the Robertson Hospital ( Figure 5).
   

4. Monument to Sally Tompkins at Christ Church,(Figure 7) Mathews, Virginia, with the primary source Inscription on Captain Sally Tompkin's Monument.

Then instruct students to choose one of the images and complete the Photograph Analysis Worksheet from the National Archives and Records Administration.

 

Students should research other famous or interesting Women from the Civil War period. They should then complete one of the following activities using information from their research. Students may work alone or in small groups, as appropriate.

1. Design and color a stained glass window illustrating the life and achievements of a woman from the Civil War period. The window must include the following:

1. An image of the person engaged in an activity.
   

2. Symbols or items appropriate to the person's achievement (flags, books, etc.).
   

3. Details showing the person's accomplishments and activities.
   

4. An inscription, including name, date of birth, and date of death.
   

2. Design an appropriate historical monument illustrating the life and achievements of a woman from the Civil War period. The monument must include the following:

1. The name of the person.
   

2. The date of birth, place of birth, date of death, and place of death of the person.
   

3. An inscription of at least fifty words relating the significant accomplishments of the person.
   

4. The name of the organization(s) responsible for erecting the monument.
   

5. A fitting quote or epitaph.
   

3. Write an interview discussing the life and achievements of a woman from the Civil War period. The interview may be with the actual historical person or with a fictional person such as a descendant or acquaintance.

4. Write a poem of at least one hundred words celebrating the life and achievements of a woman from the Civil War period. The poem may be in any form (blank, free-verse, rhyming, etc.) and must include specific historical information including the who, what, where, when, and why of the person's achievements.

5. Write a one-page obituary noting the life and achievements of a woman from the Civil War period. The obituary should include a photograph (if possible), date and place of birth, date and place of death, biographical information (parents, surviving relatives, etc.), significant achievements, funeral arrangements, and place of burial.

 

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