CIVIL WAR ORPHANS IN PA: The Pennsylvania Magazine shared a story on the children who were orphaned in the Civil War in its September/October edition. The story, which is part of the magazine’s “Round up,” tells the tale of Pennsylvania’s contribution to the Civil War. One in four of the Pa. soldiers who went off to war never came home: 15,000 were killed in battle and 18,000 were claimed by disease. Thousands more left able-bodied and came home with a disability due to injury. With the loss came another situation: children left orphaned or with only one living parent, and the concern rose about what to do with these children.

Pennsylvania holds a record for both the system scope and the span of time the system was in operation. Pa. Governor Andrew Curtin is credited with his commitment to education and his concern about the orphans and their care. Curtin actively recruited for the Union and promised the soldiers that he would never turn his back on the child of any recruit. He kept his word.

The state legislature passed a law in 1864 giving the governor the ability to organize a system for orphan care and education. The system was established by Thomas H. Burrowes, who was the first superintendent of the soldiers’ orphans. Children up to 15 years of age were eligible for assistance. Anyone taking care of orphans were expected to provide food, clothes, lodging, medical care and common school education or industrial training. Religious instruction was also required.

The program continued to expand, offering support to children who had fathers with disabilities that came to light after the war and various schools were closed while others remained serving the children.

The program continued to care for children until 2009, when it finally closed the doors on the final facility.