The Empty Sleeve

A large proportion of disabled veterans in both the North and the South did not wear artificial limbs. Many did not even apply for the money they were eligible to collect because of negative attitudes to the idea of charity. Moreover, pinning up an empty sleeve or trouser leg, instead of hiding the injury with a prosthesis, made their sacrifice visible. Displaying an “honorable scar” in this way, especially during and immediately after the war, helped amputees to assert their contribution to the cause.

Black and white photograph of a Union Major General Winfield S. Hancock in uniform, seated, right pose with his right hand tucked into his jacket.

Union Major General Winfield S. Hancock, shown in one of the classic portrait poses of the time, with his hand in his jacket, 1860s
Courtesy Library of Congress

Black and white photograph of a Confederate Major General William Wing Loring in uniform with his left sleeve tied to his jacket button. In his right hand he is holding a sword across his lap.

Confederate Major General William Wing Loring, with his left sleeve tied to his jacket button, mimicking this style of portraiture, 1860s
Courtesy Eleanor S. Brockenbrough Library, Museum of the Confederacy

Decorative dividing line

Life Without a Limb

A combination of a knife and fork with a wooden handle.

Combination knife-fork, designed for amputees, 1800s
Courtesy National Museum of Civil War Medicine

Veterans who had lost an arm learned to use their remaining limb instead, and could utilize specially-designed devices to tackle everyday tasks. Such strategies were especially important because many prosthetic designs had only limited function and could also be uncomfortable, particularly if the wounds from injury or surgery had healed badly. Moreover, an artificial limb might prove too expensive to repair or replace over the course of a lifetime.