ebooks Public Women and the Confederacy (Frank L. Klement Lectures) by Catherine Clinton in History

Description

Among the hundreds of women who; in disguise; enlisted to serve as men during the Civil War; only Sarah Edmonds is known to have written a memoir recounting her experiences. As "Franklin Thompson;" she joined the 2nd Michigan Infantry Regiment in 1861; then fought in some of the bloodiest struggles of the Civil War; from the first battle of Bull Run to the Kentucky Campaign of 1863.This daring woman embarked upon dangerous missions into Confederate territory to gather information and to survey enemy positions; sometimes in the guise of a slave or Irish washerwoman; sometimes in Confederate uniform. Through her experiences as a "male nurse" and Union soldier; Edmonds depicts the horrors of Civil War hospitals and the simple pastimes of camp life. Throughout her impassioned account; first published in 1865; this enthralling storyteller reveals her courage; dedication to the Union; and resourcefulness in concealing her identity.Three years after her death; Edmonds's body was reinterred with military honors by her comrades; who recognized in her a "strong; healthy; and robust soldier; ever willing and ready for duty." The introduction and annotations by Elizabeth D. Leonard; a leading authority on Civil War women; support and amplify Edmonds's account. Challenging established views of the Civil War soldier; Memoirs of a Soldier; Nurse; and Spy is compelling reading; especially for those interested in the Civil War; women's history; American studies; and military history.