Camp Follower
The Continental army allowed the wives of a few soldiers to stay with each company. In all, 20,000 women were camp followers during the war. These women performed many tasks. They cooked all of the meals, washed and mended the soldiers’ clothing, and cared for the sick and wounded. Constantly setting up and taking down camp and traveling on foot made for a rough life. Rather than being paid, camp followers were given partial rations. They marched behind the troops, often in a disorganized manner.
Many of the women you will learn about at this site were camp followers. These women performed a number of tasks, some of which classify them as soldiers and manufacturers.
Camper Comics
Choose one of the tasks that were performed by camp followers. Create a comic strip illustrating a woman fulfilling her responsibility. Include a caption for each of the comic cells. This is a comic, so try to make it humorous.
- Cooking
- Washing clothes
- Mending clothes
- Caring for the injured
- Setting up camp
- Taking down camp
- Marching behind the soldiers
- Receiving their rations
Rations – A fixed portion of food allotted to a person in times when supplies are low. Women camp followers were given half of the rations provided for the soldiers. If they had any children, each child received one-fourth of the full rations.