These are the true stories of four women who all felt compelled to take action at the outbreak of the Civil War. Two worked to help the Union, two were loyal to the Confederacy. All risked their reputation, fortune, and/or life, and all paid a price for their dedication to their cause. But after reading Abbott’s well-researched book, I would guess that even had they known their fates, all four would still follow the same course of action. A couple were notorious in their own time; the others kept a lower profile, or at least tried to. Although this is a fairly long book, I found it to be a quick read.
Abbott divides the book into sections for each of the five years that the Civil War was fought. Within each section, she switches between each of the women she profiles. Emma had already created a male persona before the beginning of the war, so she enlisted as a Union Soldier. Belle was a brash, attention seeking Southern teenager. Elizabeth lived in the South, but had Union sympathies. And Rose was a widowed Southern woman who was well known in Washington Society. Some of these ladies left books, diaries, or letters; one had descendants who spoke to Abbott about family stories.
The women profiled, like other women of that time, had few outlets for their patriotism. They could not vote, they could not serve in the army; at least, not as women. Emma heard of a number of other women who disguised themselves as men in order to fight, and there were probably others who were never found out. Most women of the time followed society’s dictates, and contributed to their chosen cause by raising money, sewing clothing for the troops, or aiding wounded soldiers. That was not enough for these four, and the actions of all four of these women had an impact.
If this was your family, how would you research them? Three of these four ladies wrote books, or published their diaries, about their exploits. And there are a plethora a books written about different aspects of the Civil War. If you know when and where your ancestor served, you should be able to find information describing the experience of their troop or a battle they fought in, even if they are not mentioned by name. Two of the best places to find records about the Civil War are Fold3, https://www.fold3.com/, which requires a subscription, and the Soldiers and Sailors Database, https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/soldiers-and-sailors-database.htm, which does not.