Positioning the Empty Sleeve in the Post-Civil War South

My paper will examine how southern society reacted to the presence of Confederate amputees in the aftermath of the Civil War.  With southern society placing a premium on the physically complete and unscarred body in the antebellum era as a marker of manhood, the return of nearly 25,000 damaged men precipitated a crisis in manhood.  Many veterans hoped that southern society would view their empty sleeves as markers of manhood, but there was no guarantee.  In fact, I have uncovered some anecdotes of southern civilians seeing elite Confederates, who lost a limb during the war, as impoverished, common folks.  Businessess declared that the maimed need not apply and many veterans faced depression or thoughts of suicide when they failed to find suitable employment.  At some point during the Civil War, southerners came to understand that an empty sleeve now marked sacrifice and bravery, rather than a diminished level of manhood, which eroded the initial crisis in manhood.  Through an exploration of newspaper accounts, diary entries and letters, I will examine how southern society incorporated the damaged, limbless and defeated man back into the fold.  Dilapidated men found an honorable position in society, as women gravitated towards them to provide care, states eventually extended financial assistance and some amputees gained power through victory in political races.