Female soldiers in the Civil War?

Did women fight in the Civil War? The answer is yes. Historians believe that several hundred women disguised themselves as men and enlisted in the Union and Confederate armies. Many more served as nurses, spies, smugglers and home guards, defending their families and farms while the men were away.

Disguised as Soldiers

Enlisting was easier than it sounds. Physical exams were often quick or skipped entirely, many young soldiers had no beards, and baggy uniforms hid a lot. Women who joined usually cut their hair short, took a man’s name and kept to themselves. Some were discovered only when they were wounded, fell ill or were captured. Others served for years without anyone knowing.

One of the best-documented Confederate examples is Malinda Blalock of North Carolina. She enlisted in the 26th North Carolina Infantry in 1862 under the name “Samuel Blalock” so she could serve beside her husband, Keith. She drilled and served with the regiment until her husband was discharged, and then she revealed her secret so she could go home with him.

Home Guards and Women’s Militias

Not every woman who took up arms went to the front. With so many men gone, women across the South organized to protect their communities. The most famous were the Nancy Harts of LaGrange, Georgia, a militia company of local women formed in 1861 and named for Nancy Hart, a heroine of the American Revolution. They drilled with muskets for most of the war, ready to defend their town.

Stories from other Southern towns tell of similar groups, including companies of women who were trained to protect their families and crops and to help keep the soldiers fed.

Spies, Nurses and Smugglers

Southern women served the cause in many other ways. Belle Boyd and Rose O’Neal Greenhow became famous Confederate spies. Captain Sally Tompkins ran a Richmond hospital that saved hundreds of lives and was commissioned a captain in the Confederate army. Countless others sewed uniforms, made flags and smuggled medicine through Union lines.

Read more about one of these remarkable women in The Angel of the Confederacy: Captain Sally Tompkins, and honor them with a flag from our Confederate flag collection.

Source: My Civil War Obsession: Female soldiers in the Civil War?

Thanks for reading. Please share our posts with your friends and family so they too can learn more about Southern Heritage and History.

Brought to you by: Ultimate Flags