Courageous women of the Civil War : soldiers, spies, medics, and more / M.R. Cordell.

Title :

Courageous women of the Civil War : soldiers, spies, medics, and more

Author:

Format:

Books

Summary:

"At the outbreak of the Civil War, nearly everybody was caught up in patriotic fervor--men and women, Union and Confederate. Many women supported soldiers through knitting and sewing needed items, growing food, making bandages, gathering medical supplies, and more. But others wished they could be closer to the fight. These women defied society's expectations and bravely chose to take on more dangerous, unconventional roles. [This book] reveals the exploits of 16 of these remarkable women who served as medics, spies, battlefield helpers, and even soldiers on the front lines"--Dust jacket flap.

Language:

English

ISBN - ISSN:

9781613732007 (cloth)

1613732007 (cloth)

Physical Description:

xxiii, 230 pages : illustrations, map ; 23 cm

Contents:

Part I. Soldiers -- Sarah Emma Edmonds: Soldier, nurse, spy -- Frances Elizabeth Quinn: "Hurrah for God's country!" -- Mary Ann Clark: "A good Rebel soldier" -- Frances Louisa Clayton: A rough Northern soldier -- Maria Lewis: "She rode in the front ranks" -- Part II. Spies -- Harriet Tubman: Moses' great Combahee Raid -- Mary Carroll: A Missouri Rebel -- Loreta Janeta Velazquez: The Confederate lioness -- Mary Jane Richards: Spy in the Confederate White House -- Part III. Nurses -- Georgeanna Woolsey: "Changed by this contact with terror" -- Susie King Taylor: A young nurse in the "First South" -- Harriet Ann Jacobs: "She did her own thinking" -- Cornelia Hancock: Battlefield angel -- Part IV. Vivandieres -- Marie Tepe: "French Mary" -- Kady Brownell: Heroine of New Bern -- Annie Lorinda Etheridge: "This is my place".

Subject:

Women.

United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Women -- Juvenile literature.

United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Biography -- Juvenile literature.

United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Women.

United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Biography.

American Civil War (1861-1865)

Series:

Women of action (Chicago, Ill.)

First Title value, for Searching:

Courageous women of the Civil War : soldiers, spies, medics, and more / M.R. Cordell.

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Library	Audience	Home Location	Material Type	Shelf Number	Status
Searching... Collier	Kid/Juvenile	Non-fiction	Kids book	973.708 C	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Robinson-Westchase	Kid/Juvenile	Non-fiction	Kids book	973.708 C	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

At the outbreak of the Civil War, nearly everybody was caught up in patriotic fervor--men and women, Union and Confederate. Many women supported soldiers through knitting and sewing needed items, growing food, making bandages, gathering medical supplies, and more. But others wished they could be closer to the fight. These women defied society's expectations and bravely chose to take on more dangerous, unconventional roles. Courageous Women of the Civil War reveals the exploits of 16 of these remarkable women who served as medics, spies, battlefield helpers, and even soldiers on the front lines.

Meet fascinating figures such as Maria Lewis, a former slave who fought with the Union cavalry as it swept through Virginia. Disguised as a white male soldier, she "put the fear of Hell" into Confederate enemies. Kady Brownell supported her husband's Rhode Island regiment as a vivandière, training with the soldiers, fighting in battle, and helping the injured. Mary Carroll, a Missouri rebel, forged a copy of a jail cell key to break her brother out before his scheduled execution.

These and other little-known stories are told through gripping narrative, primary source documents, and contextualizing sidebars. Civil War history is woven throughout, offering readers a clear overview of the era and the war. Also including numerous historic photos, source notes, and a bibliography, Courageous Women of the Civil War is an invaluable resource for any student's or history buff's bookshelf.

Author Notes

M. R. Cordell earned a master's in writing for children from Hamline University. She has contributed to Cicada , Cricket , Highlights , Read , The Horn Book , and more.

Reviews (4)

Publisher's Weekly Review

This addition to the Women of Action series tells the stories of 16 women who served as soldiers, nurses, spies, and vivandières (hired laundresses and cooks) during the Civil War. Among the women first-time author Cordell introduces are Maria Lewis, a slave who disguised herself as a white man and joined a cavalry; Susie King Taylor, an educated black woman who taught the black soldiers of the First South regiment how to read and write, as well as tended to their wounds; and Loreta Janeta Velazquez, whose life (under numerous aliases) as a mustachioed soldier, spy, and thief reads like a picaresque narrative. Cordell provides both a general understanding of the varied roles of women at the time and how the individuals she profiles (photographs of whom appear throughout) relied on their ingenuity, bravery, and integrity to survive and even thrive during a turbulent chapter in American history. Source notes and suggestions for supplemental reading are provided. Ages 12-up. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Horn Book Review

These are interesting collective biographies of women on the WWII Pacific front and from both sides of the American Civil War, who challenged gender stereotypes of their time. Clear narrative texts provide ample historical context along with supplemental sections and high-quality black-and-white photographs. The informative accounts include plenty of primary sources and suggested further reading for each chapter. Bib., ind. [Review covers these Women of Action titles: Women Heroes of World War II and Courageous Women of the Civil War.] (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

In this installment in the Women of Action series, Cordell gives a rousing account of 16 women who defied traditional roles to serve as soldiers, spies, medics, and vivandières during the American Civil War. Four of the women risked capture as former slaves to help in the war efforts. Some women dressed as male soldiers to enter into regiments and fight for the Union or Confederate armies, while others were nurses and medics on the front lines. Each woman receives a dedicated chapter with supporting primary source imagery, regular asides to add clarity and depth, and a resource section for additional information. The narrative format of stand-alone chapters allows for quick use as research material or classroom reading. Meanwhile, the extensive notes for each chapter, glossary, and comprehensive bibliography provide an opportunity for further reading or teaching support. Though the occasional bump in narrative style within a chapter can be distracting, the overall effect is a comprehensive overview of women's active role in the War between the States.--Ginman, Karen Copyright 2016 Booklist

School Library Journal Review

Gr 7 Up-Leaving behind the cult of domesticity and the traditional belief that a woman's place was in the home, the 16 women highlighted in this volume put their ambitions and convictions into action. At a time when women had few legal rights and could not vote, these figures took an active role in the Civil War by disguising themselves as men in order to fight or act as spies. They worked as nurses and found ways to assist soldiers on the battlefields. Spies included Harriet Tubman and Mary Jane Richards, who was planted in the Confederate White House to gather information. Georgeanna Woolsey is an example of one of the more than 21,000 women who were on the army payroll as nurses. Some women served as vivandières-women who were hired as cooks or laundresses and paid by the soldiers. One such woman was Annie Lorinda Etheridge, who followed her husband into the army and became a cook and nurse for the Fifth Michigan Regiment. The book begins with an introduction, providing historical context as to why the North and the South opposed each other and covering the events leading up to South Carolina's secession from the Union, the role of slavery in this opposition (Cordell wisely does not portray white Northerners simply as saviors in the fight to abolish slavery but rather as having their own legal, economic, and ideological reasons for it), and how the start of the war stirred the hearts of Northern and Southern women alike. Sidebars and photographs are scattered throughout the text. VERDICT An excellent addition to history collections.-Patricia Ann Owens, formerly at Illinois Eastern Community College, Mt. Carmel © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Map	p. viii
Introduction	p. xi
Part I Soldiers	p. 1
Sarah Emma Edmonds: Soldier, Nurse, Spy	p. 5
Frances Elizabeth Quinn: "Hurrah for God's Country!"	p. 16
Mary Ann Clark: "A Good Rebel Soldier"	p. 27
Frances Louisa Clayton: A Rough Northern Soldier	p. 36
Maria Lewis: "She Rode in the Front Ranks"	p. 44
Part II Spies	p. 53
Harriet Tubman: Moses's Great Combahee Raid	p. 57
Mary Carroll: A Missouri Rebel	p. 68
Loreta Janeta Velazquez: The Confederate Lioness	p. 77
Mary Jane Richards: Spy in the Confederate White House	p. 86
Part III Nurses	p. 97
Georgeanna Woolsey: "Changed by This Contact with Terror"	p. 101
Susie King Taylor: A Young Nurse in the "First South"	p. 110
Harriet Ann Jacobs: "She Did Her Own Thinking"	p. 119
Cornelia Hancock: Battlefield Angel	p. 130
Part IV Vivandieres	p. 139
Marie Tepe: "French Mary"	p. 142
Kady Brownell: Heroine of New Bern	p. 153
Annie Lorinda Eiheridge: "This Is My Place"	p. 163
Acknowledgments	p. 173
Organization of Infantry in the Civil War	p. 175
Glossary	p. 177
Notes	p. 183
Bibliography	p. 213
Index	p. 223

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Bound With These Titles

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Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Reviews (4)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Horn Book Review

Booklist Review

School Library Journal Review

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