Katie Hanson - Another One Bites the Dust

In 1879, the story of Katie (or Kate) Hanson swept across the country.  She had disappeared twenty-two years prior, and newspapers reported that the mystery had finally been solved.  The romantic tale began in Pennsylvania when the eighteen-year-old fell in love with a man named Johnson.  The couple relished each other's company and specifically loved sharing adventures hunting and fishing in the woods.  But that came to an end when Hanson's father commanded her to desist in associating with the young man, whom he deemed "worthless."  Katie could not reconcile her feelings for Johnson and her father's lack of approval.  To her, the only option was to dissolve the relationship, which she chose to accomplish by running away in male disguise..  A search ensued, but after a couple of years, Katie's parents gave her up for dead.  According to them, she must have either been shot and killed in a hunting accident or became lost in the woods and perished.

My Video at Chalmette National Cemetery

So I'm branching out - after forcing myself in front of the camera.  First up is a video Mark shot of me last year at Chalmette National Cemetery talking about Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, alias "Lyons Wakeman," of the 153rd New York Infantry, who is buried there.

To learn more about Wakeman, click [HERE].

To find out where other women soldiers of the Civil War are buried, click [HERE].

I will periodically share more of these in the future.  You can view my YouTube Channel and subscribe by clicking [HERE].

Until next formation....rest.

My Book is Now Available for Pre-Order!

You can now purchase my book through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  It will ship March 15th.  Right now, the only option is hardcover, but it will be available as an ebook at some point. 

Even though the focus is women soldiers from Mississippi or those from elsewhere who fought in Mississippi battles, I branch out and share new exciting research about such topics as Gettysburg, Shiloh, Allatoona, Peach Tree Creek, Andersonville, 2nd Fort Donelson, Cloyd's Mountain/New River Bridge, Andersonville, Alton, etc.

Click [HERE] to purchase a copy from Amazon.

Click [HERE] to purchase a copy from Barnes & Noble.

Meet Miss Jenna Who Found Inspiration from a Woman Soldier of the Civil War

I recently had the pleasure of receiving an email from a nice gentleman named Mr. David who shared with me that his lovely and talented daughter, Miss Jenna, will be studying library science after she graduates from high school.  Her inspiration for her career choice?  She read the letters of a woman soldier named Mary Ann Clark and her mother, Elizabeth Burbage. And now she wants to use what she has learned to form a platform from which she can share her knowledge with others throughout her future career.  This is what Jenna had to say:

They Didn't Just Enlist in Wartime, Part 2

In my last blog post, I shared an article about a New York woman who enlisted in 1855, before the war.  Click [HERE] for it.  The following appeared in the Davenport Daily Gazette in October 1865, relating a brief story about an Iowa woman who had been serving at Camp McClellan six months after Lee surrendered.

They Didn't Just Enlist in Wartime

This article is from the Fremont Weekly Journal (Ohio) reprinted from the Utica Telegraph in 1855 shows that women didn't just have their sights set on serving in the military during wartime.

Of course, if she had kept her nose clean, who knows how long she would have served.  Or perhaps that's why she enlisted to begin with - to flee from the law.  Some did that to escape the Georgia State Penitentiary at Milledgeville during the Civil War.  Click [HERE] to read an article I wrote about it.

Until next formation....rest.

Women Soldiers at the Battles of Cloyd's Mountain and New River Bridge (Includes Video)

During the spring of 1864, the Federals launched a multi-prong offensive where they ultimately clashed with the Confederates at places such as the Wilderness in Virginia and multiple locations in and around Atlanta.  Another part of the offensive involved Brigadier General George Crook marching into southwestern Virginia in order to destroy the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad.  Confederates led by Brigadier General Albert G. Jenkins attempted to stop them on May 9th, 1864, at Cloyd's Mountain, located in Pulaski County. The battle was short and involved a small amount of troops on both sides, but the action was fierce and involved hand-to-hand fighting resulting in a high amount of casualties.  At the end, the Federals drove the Confederates from their works and turned their attention to the 700-foot-long railroad bridge that spanned the New River.

Piers from the railroad bridge spanning the New River
View is looking at the Federal position on the west side of the river
http://www.thomaslegion.net/battleofcloydsmountain.html

Women Soldiers at Harpers Ferry

Harpers Ferry is best known for John Brown's raid in 1859.  The abolitionist attempted to seize the arsenal there and distribute the weapons to his followers in hopes of inciting a slave revolt.  U.S. Marines led by then Colonel Robert E. Lee stormed the engine house that Brown and his men had barricaded themselves in.  The abolitionist leader was captured, taken to Charles Town where he was tried and convicted of treason, and hanged.

Marker in Charles Town
Photo by Mark Hidlebaugh

Harpers Ferry 
Library of Congress

 Harpers Ferry is a lovely place to visit.  Mark and I have been there multiple times with the latest trip being a couple of months ago.  You can walk the scenic streets lined with period buildings that you can enter.  Inside, you will occasionally find interpreters in period clothing who will answer questions you may have.

From Books to Battlefields: Women Soldiers as Students and Teachers

And just like that, my summer is over, and it's time to go back to school.   While I love my job as a college instructor and have been blessed to have taught with some of the most amazing people throughout my career at all levels, I defy you to find a teacher who rues the end of summer vacation.

The Battle of Peach Tree Creek: "They Fought Like Very Devils"

The Union soldier who uttered those words was referring to Brigadier General Winfield Scott Featherston's Mississippi Brigade of Major General William W. Loring's division, Lieutenant General Alexander P. Stewart's corps, at the Battle of Peach Tree Creek fought on this day in 1864.

Two Female Casualties of Pickett's Charge

After testing the Federal left and right flanks, General Robert E. Lee contrived a plan to attack the Union center.  This futile assault would prove to be the climactic point of the three-day battle of Gettysburg and a costly Confederate defeat.   In terms of the number of killed, wounded, captured, and missing, the South lost over 6,000 soldiers in this charge alone.   At least two of those casualties were women. 

Those Panting Women

Editors sometimes displayed a sense of humor when reporting on women soldiers.  The following blurb appeared in newspapers throughout the country and across the pond in England as well.

Vermont Transcript, June 17th, 1864

Of course, the writer is playing on "pants," which women were not allowed to wear.  Doing so was both socially unacceptable and illegal.  When he refers to them "having a pair of pants," women had to acquire a pair somehow since they just didn't own the article of clothing.  Most of them more than likely secretly commandeered trousers from a male relative or even purchased them when they decided to go as a soldier.  And because Victorian women didn't typically wear pants, nobody really knew what they looked like wearing them.  That made a woman soldier more secure from detection.

Until next formation......rest.

"Miriam Rivers" - A Civil War Novel (1865)

Published by Barclay & Co. from Philadelphia, this 1865 novel, Miriam Rivers, The Lady Soldier or General Grant's Spy, is set in an unnamed Midwestern town.  From the beginning, readers will note contradictions in reality and that things aren't what they seem.  For instance, the furniture of Miriam's cottage appears costly but isn't.  Miriam's sister, Edith, is wearing a plain dress when the author introduces the reader to the family.  Yet, there is nothing plain about her beauty.  Miriam is slightly above medium height, but doesn't appear to be that tall.  She isn't stout but yet her appearance exudes "strength and endurance."  The author is using these contradictions to foreshadow things to come with Miriam.  And while Rivers defies societal norms, her actions show that she is nevertheless able to remain within the sphere of Victorian womanhood.

Shiloh Revisited

You may have read or heard about the woman soldier whose body was discovered at Shiloh in 1934.  I wrote a brief post about her several years ago.  The title was "Woman of Shiloh."  But then I had to change the name to "WOMEN of Shiloh" when I discovered that she was not the only one who had lost her life in that terrible battle.  Click [HERE] to read the post.

When I first started researching women soldiers of the Civil War over ten years ago, I felt that a lot of the accounts were not complete and that there was more to learn.  Dissatisfied, I set out to try to find answers.  And thus, Mark and I have embarked on quite a few adventures.  I'm sure he is growing weary of my incessant queries.  How?  Who?  Where? When? Why?  WHy??  WHY????  It's as if I have regressed back to my toddler days or something.  Thankfully, Mark is very patient and I would not have learned nearly as much as I have without his expertise in everything military.  But, I can't help that I'm inquisitive and enjoy sleuthing.   Naturally, the Mystery Woman of Shiloh has always been on my radar.  And even though she will always remain an enigma, please allow me to indulge in my geekiness nevertheless. 

Outrunning Her Discretion at Camp Randall

March is typically when my spring break falls.  And I have no idea why, but it seems that Mark and I tend to go somewhere colder for some reason - like the Midwest where he is.  This year, we visited the great, white tundra of Wisconsin.  With snow still on the ground, we made our way north to the state capital, Madison, the location of Camp Randall.

Introducing My Book: "Behind the Rifle: Women Soldiers in Civil War Mississippi"

I am pleased to announce that last week the University Press of Mississippi officially notified me that they are going to publish my book, Behind the Rifle:  Women Soldiers in Civil War Mississippi.  They are anticipating March 2019.  Check back for updates!

In the meantime, you can read more about my book by clicking [HERE].

Until next formation...rest.

Flags of the 95th Illinois Infantry

Civil War soldiers revered their battle flags.  Crafted by ladies from their homeland and presented in patriotic ceremonies, these banners were the lifeblood of the unit and tangible bridges to their loved ones soldiers left behind.  As a result, a soldier developed a fierce loyalty to his (or her) flag and would sacrifice life and limb to protect it as it became an embodiment of hearth and home.

"Ye Female Volunteer"

From the Cleveland Daily Leader, March 6th, 1863, 155 years ago today:

The fact that such an article appeared in the newspapers demonstrates in part the extent that women soldiers appeared in the public's consciousness.

Until next formation....rest.

Mardi Gras 155 Years Ago

Mardi Gras is huge here along the Gulf Coast region due to our French Catholic heritage.  It was Mobile and not New Orleans where Mardi Gras began.  And the tradition eventually gravitated west.  As for me, I'm not a Catholic and do not celebrate the holiday.  But my sweet tooth heartily embraces king cakes, and I greatly appreciate the two days off from school.

Manuscript Update!

On Groundhog's Day, I received another year on my age, word that the rodent has declared that this infernal winter will last six more weeks, and positive remarks from the peer reviewers regarding my manuscript on women soldiers!  I announced back in November that I had submitted it to a university press and that they were interested.  Click [HERE]. And now, upon the reviewers' recommendation for publication, the university press has offered me a contract!  Happy birthday to me!!!

What's next?  I have to submit a project description and my response to the reviewers' comments by March 1st along with other tasks.  The editorial board will still have to approve publication, which would be at their meeting in April.   And so I will wait to give more details about my manuscript at that time.

Until next formation...rest.

What's in a Name?

The very first thing we often learn about a person is his or her name. Our name is an intimate part of who we are.   It comprises our identity, and we make connections between our name and identity every day.   As for people long gone who we are researching, it will all we will ever be able to learn about them.  In some cases, we uncover enough information to develop some sort of perception of their personality.  But it's not the same as actually getting to know them.  So we have to rely on names.  I've been researching women soldiers for over ten years now and have encountered lots of names.