while men were fighting, many women needed to learn how to farm and do other manual labor. besides having to tend to the home and children while the men were away at war, women also contributed supplies. quilts and blankets were often given to soldiers. other items women often sent included: shirts, sheets, pillows, pillowcases, coats, vests, trousers, towels, handkerchiefs, socks, bandages, canned fruits, dried fruits, butter, cheese, wine, eggs, pickles, books, and magazines. at one point, after the battle of resaca in georgia, women sent every wounded man within a certain distance a fresh orange or lemon. these fruits were to quench the strong thirst that was known to accompany a wound.