Finding "William Bradley": Black Woman Soldier of Miles' Legion

I shared new information regarding the remarkable account of "William Bradley" in my book.  In this article, I'd like to explain the sources I used and how I arrived at the conclusions I did.

To summarize, Pvt. Bradley enlisted in what would become Company G of Miles' Legion and served briefly in April 1862.  All of the infantry units that comprised this legion originated from south Louisiana except for Company G, which was raised in the Natchez, Mississippi area.

"Mustered in through mistake,
was of female sex."
Fold3

VIDEO: A Woman Soldier in Natchez, Mississippi

In this short teaser video shot in October 2018, I point out the location where a woman soldier was discovered in Natchez,  Mississippi.  I don't mention her identity in the video because my book had not been released at the time.  But she was a slave who served as "William Bradley" with Miles' Legion, which was a Confederate unit.

You can read more about her in a previous post by clicking [HERE] and by reading my book, Behind the Rifle.

Laundresses: Warriors of the Washboard

In my last blog post, click [HERE], I talked about orderlies or servants, in which capacity some women served while disguised as men.  Others, however, provided support services while in their true feminine identities.  These women were employed by the military as nurses, cooks, and laundresses. This article will focus on laundresses, also called washerwomen.

Babes on the Bluff: Women Soldiers at Natchez, Mississippi

Sorry for the title, but I couldn't resist.

Previously, I wrote about the life of William Johnson, the Barber of Natchez, who was a free black man and slaveowner.  Click (HERE) for the post.  This was part 1 of an article detailing forgotten or little known aspects of Natchez history.  Part 2 deals with women soldiers and their connection to the Bluff City.