They fought like demons : women soldiers in the American Civil War / DeAnne Blanton and Lauren M. Cook.
Material type:
TextSeries: Conflicting worldsPublication details: Baton Rouge : Louisiana State University Press, c2002.Description: xiii, 277 p. : ill. ; 25 cmISBN: - 0807128066 (alk. paper)
- 973.7/082 21
- E628 .B52 2002
| Item type | Home library | Collection | Call number | Materials specified | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adult Book
|
Main Library | NonFiction | 973.7082 B643 | Available | 33111002927347 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
Popular images of women during the American Civil War include self-sacrificing nurses, romantic spies, and brave ladies maintaining hearth and home in the absence of their men. However, as DeAnne Blanton and Lauren M. Cook show in their remarkable new study, that conventional picture does not tell the entire story. Hundreds of women assumed male aliases, disguised themselves in men?s uniforms, and charged into battle as Union and Confederate soldiers?facing down not only the guns of the adversary but also the gender prejudices of society. They Fought Like Demons is the first book to fully explore and explain these women, their experiences as combatants, and the controversial issues surrounding their military service.
Relying on more than a decade of research in primary sources, Blanton and Cook document over 240 women in uniform and find that their reasons for fighting mirrored those of men?-patriotism, honor, heritage, and a desire for excitement. Some enlisted to remain with husbands or brothers, while others had dressed as men before the war. Some so enjoyed being freed from traditional women?s roles that they continued their masquerade well after 1865. The authors describe how Yankee and Rebel women soldiers eluded detection, some for many years, and even merited promotion. Their comrades often did not discover the deception until the ?young boy? in their company was wounded, killed, or gave birth.
In addition to examining the details of everyday military life and the harsh challenges of -warfare for these women?which included injury, capture, and imprisonment?Blanton and Cook discuss the female warrior as an icon in nineteenth-century popular culture and why twentieth-century historians and society ignored women soldiers? contributions. Shattering the negative assumptions long held about Civil War distaff soldiers, this sophisticated and dynamic work sheds much-needed light on an unusual and overlooked facet of the Civil War experience.
Includes bibliographical references (p. [215]-230) and index.
"Entrenched in secrecy : women soldiers of the Civil War -- 1. "They fought like demons" : a military history of women in combat -- 2. "To dress and go as a soldier" : means and motivations -- 3. "A fine looking soldier" : life in the ranks -- 4. "Fairly earned her epaulettes" : women soldiers in the military service -- 5. "Why they detained her I can't imagine" : the prisoner of war experience -- 6. "I would rather have been shot dead" : women soldiers as casualties of war -- 7. "A congenital peculiarity" : women discovered in the ranks -- 8. "Romantic young ladies " : female soldiers in the public consciousness -- 9. When Jennie came marching home : women soldiers in the postwar years -- 10. Beyond heroes or harlots : the changing historical perspective -- "I love my country" : a summation of women's military service.