Jennie
Hodgers joined the Union Army
using the
name Albert Cashier. She
continued living as male following the war. |
Yeah, apparently these women weren’t anomalous; during the Civil War it’s guesstimated roughly 400 women disguised themselves as men and served the Union and Confederate armies. They signed-up for the same reasons as men-love of country, upholding a cause, searching for adventure, or looking to earn money. Because women weren’t permitted to enlist, they had to pose as men; luckily, the physical exam pretty much consisted of, “Can you hold a musket? Good.” After joining they kept to themselves, and many female soldiers’ gender was never exposed.
Frances
Clalin enlisted with the Union Army as cavalryman Jack Williams. She fought in 18 battles, was injured 3 times, and taken prisoner. Oh, and she had 3 kids. |
So, I encourage you, as we commemorate the 150-year anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, remember the ladies. Not just those who disguised themselves as men, but the innumerable other women that contributed, too.
For more information about women at the Battle of Gettysburg, check-out:
Women take the field at the Gettysburg reenactment
For more information about female soldiers during the Civil War, check-out:
The Women Who Fought in the Civil War
2 comments:
Awesome website & great post! Thanks for commenting on my post about Cathay Williams! I'm not surprised you didn't stumble across her name in your research; she led a rather mundane life besides her couple of years in the army.
Thanks! And I'm always happy to support another women's history blogger!
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