After the outbreak of war, the number of brothels skyrocketed. The word "hooker" predates the Civil War, but became popularized due to Union General Joseph Hooker's reputation of consorting with prostitutes. There was moral outrage at this rising employment, and law officials classified the people they arrested as such. The term "public women" was coined for the women that became prostitutes. Other historians considered the growth of prostitution to be related to the women wanting to spread venereal disease to the opposing troops. Some historians have speculated that this growth can be attributed to a depression, and the need for women to support themselves and their families while their husbands were away at war. Prostitution experienced its largest growth during 1861–1865. Prostitution įurther information: Prostitution in the United States § 19th century Numbers for Confederates are unknown, but are assumed to be less, due to Confederate soldiers being less likely to be in cities. Cases were most prominent around larger cities like Nashville, Tennessee New Orleans Richmond, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
Union black troops, however, had rates of for syphilis and for gonorrhea. The total rate of VD among the white Union troops was 82 cases per 1000 men, where before and after the war the rate was 87 of 1000. Among white Union soldiers there was a total of 73,382 syphilis cases and 109,397 gonorrhea cases. This led to many cases of venereal disease. The number of prostitutes around Hooker's division only "cemented" the term. Popular legend has it that they were so common around the Army of the Potomac when Union general Joseph Hooker was in command that the term "hooker" was coined to describe them however, the term had been in use since 1845. Prostitutes were among the camp followers following behind marching troops. However, this is not to say females were not available for sex. Only three of the novels are still known to exist they are located at the Kinsey Institute of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. With the soldiers being far away from their wives and sweethearts, it is speculated these were used for masturbation, and not just for entertainment.
These were usually pictures of nude women doing innocent things nude women that were engaging in actual sexual activity were usually not white, but either black or Native American. These twelve by fifteen inch pictures cost $1.20 for a dozen, or ten cents for a single picture.
Photographs of nudity were available as well, and were purchased by both enlisted men and officers. These were inexpensive novels of a sexual nature. At camp, " barracks favorites" were available.