Arsenal explosions were common. Besides the Washington and Pittsburgh explosions, the Confederacy had two major ones at Richmond in 1863 and Augusta, Georgia, in 1864. At each event, most of the dead were girls and young women.
Like in later conflicts when previously male jobs were filled by women because the men were off fighting. "Government Girls" worked at the arsenals as well as held jobs as clerks, printers and even sewer work. Their ranks swelled during the war.
They had to work hard, especially the married ones who often had wounded or disabled husbands as well as children to care for. The made good wages for back then. Arsenal workers made$50-60 a month, but even with the good wages, it was hard to keep up with the rampant inflation which reached 76% at one point.
Rent, even in poor, remote suburbs like Georgetown, ate up at least $25 a month (though single women often boarded together and some lived with family. A cord of wood cost between$12 and $16.
A large number of the female workers were of Irish descent.
--Old Secesh
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