A recently surfaced 1864 letter provides a glimpse into a little-discussed affliction among Civil War soldiers – chronic masturbation.
The handwritten note by Confederate Lt. William Dandridge Pitts inquires about the condition of his brother Charles, who was discharged from the army in 1862 due to an unspecified “illness.” Charles was residing at the Western Lunatic Asylum in Virginia.
According to Charles’ doctor and accounts from fellow soldiers, his illness was a relentless addiction to masturbation. “I have had some conversation with the physician who attended my brother previous to his going to the asylum,” Lt. Pitts wrote, “and he advises me…that [Charles] was addicted to masturbation, while in camp.”
The letter highlights the mental health toll of the war, even before combat began. Soldiers forced to endure their comrades’ “self-pollution” no doubt developed deep psychological scars.
While masturbation remained taboo in the Victorian era, it was pervasive enough in the military to earn the nickname “Johnny Reb.” The irony of this affliction among troops from Virginia, the “state for lovers,” was surely not lost on the Pitts family.
The letter survives in excellent condition despite its delicate subject matter. This “director’s cut” offers intimate insight into secret struggles in Civil War ranks.
