Patriots in disguise : women warriors of the Civil War
To many minds the question of women in combat is a particularly modern problem; the recent Gulf War seems to have brought the question to a head for the first time. But, as Richard Hall shows in this eye-opening history, women have been distinguishing themselves on the battlefield for far longer than has been acknowledged in the history books. There were women who went to the Civil War as nurses, "daughters of the regiment," or vivandieres, and those who went disguised as men, but when the fighting began such distinctions were lost and the women would adapt to whatever role was necessary. Many went to be with their boyfriends or husbands, some went out of patriotism, others purely for the adventure. In addition to donning a uniform and cutting their hair, these women often "learned to drink, smoke, chew, and swear with the best, or worst of the soldiers." The wife of one Colonel Turchin even assumed command of a regiment after her husband had been wounded
Print Book, English, 1993
1st ed
Paragon House, New York, 1993