Women in the ranks

[johan_steele]

CONFEDERATE ARMY

Blaylock, [BLALOCK] Malinda (? - 1901)

Malinda Blaylock enrolled in Co. F, 26th North Carolina on March 20, 1861 under the name of Sam Blaylock, in order to be with her husband Keith. Staunch Unionists, the Blaylock's had either the choice of going into hiding from their pro-Confederate neighbors, or make the long and dangerous trek through Confederate territory and try to find a Union outfit to join. Keith worked out a plan to make it appear to his neighbors that he was pro-Confederate, yet get into the Union army. His plan was to join the Confederate army, then, when close enough to Union lines after a battle; he would cross over and desert to the Union army. His neighbors would think that he'd been taken prisoner, he would have fulfilled their expectations, and he could still join the Union army.

Their plans went sour however, when the company they joined was put on garrison duty at Kinston, far from any Union lines. Keith decided that extraordinary measures were called for to get out of the Confederate Army. He found a thicket of poison oak and rolled around in it naked. He contracted such a bad rash that the physicians couldn't identify it, and was sent home on a medical discharge. "Sam" then informed Col. Vance of her true status and name, and was sent home with Keith. The printed rolls of the regiment a footnote states that: "this lady had done a soldiers duty without a suspicion of her sex among her comrades, until her husband, L.M. Blaylock, was discharged, when she claimed the same privilege and was sent home rejoicing."

Once home, Keith cured himself by taking brine baths. In time, Confederate authorities seeking to enforce the draft noticed Keith at home and gave him the choice of rejoining or suffer the penalties of the draft law. Keith and Malinda gathered their firearms and escaped to Grandfather Mountain. Other draft dodgers joined them, forming a small band. A price was put on Keith's head and in a shoot out with recruiters, he received a bullet in the arm. After this skirmish, Keith and Malinda fled to Tennessee, where they worked as guerrillas and bushwhackers. They crossed back and forth over the Tennessee-North Carolina border gathering information to feed to the Union army, and raiding his former neighbors' homes. Eventually, a feud broke out between Keith and his Confederate relatives.

After the war, Keith and Malinda returned to their home on Grandfather Mountain. Malinda died in 1901. Keith died August 11, 1913 from a railroad handcar accident. xxvi

Bell, Mary and Mollie

Mary Bell was known as Tom Parker.
Mollie Bell was known as Bob Morgan.
Of these two facts, the truth is certain. Accounts vary as to whether these two were sisters or cousins. According to the Oct. 31, 1864 Richmond Examiner, they served for two years as Tom Parker and Bob Martin. Prior to that time, they had been staying with an uncle in Southwestern Virginia, but he left them and "went over to the Yankees."

The Examiner made the claim that they had recently "excited the suspicions of their Captain or comrades", yet said that the captain had earlier reported them as "common camp followers" and had been demoralizing the men. He added that they had "adopted the disguise of soldiers better to follow the army and hide their iniquity." The author also purported that:" The country had here an insight into one of the probable causes of the utter worthlessness and inefficiency of some of the commands in the valley. Hidden in Early's camp like the stolen Babylonian garment and silver in the camp of the Hebrews, defeat and disaster ever follows, and ever will continue to cling to it, like the shirt of Nemish until purged of the unclean presence."

The Richmond Daily Dispatch of October 31, 1864 tells a different story. According to the Daily Dispatch, "Tom Parker" and "Bob Morgan" were enlisted in a cavalry company that had been captured and were rescued by the men of John Hunt Morgan. It was after this that the two enrolled in the 36TH Virginia Infantry. [Companies A, B, &E were formed from parts of the 14th Virginia cavalry, raised in (now) West Virginia] While on Picket duty, "Bob" killed three Yankees and was promoted to Corporal.

The Daily Dispatch also tells of an event that occurred after the battle of Belle Grove which may explain how they served for two years without being caught. The two had the confidence of their Captain, but he was captured; and they had to tell their secret to the Lieutenant. (Who had assumed command of the company) It was this person, breveted (temporarily raised in rank) to captain, who had turned traitor to the Bell's. He informed General Early of their presence; along with the story about them being common camp followers. General Early had them placed on a train to Castle Thunder in Richmond to wait further arrangements for their welfare. The Nov. 25, 1864 edition of The Richmond Daily Examiner reported that they were eventually released to go to their parent's home in Pulaski County.

Interviews with Mary and Molly Bell's (Tom Parker and Bob Morgan) comrades showed them to have been "valiant soldiers, having never been known to straggle or shirk duty." During their interview with General Early, the Bell's told that at least six other women were in his army. xxvii

Buford, Harry - SEE Loretta Velasquez

Clarke, [CLARK] Amy [ANNA]

In August, 1863, Texas cavalryman Robert Hodges, Jr., wrote a letter to his father in which he describes a scene Turner's Station, Tennessee:

"One of the soldiers directed my attention to a youth apparently about seventeen years of age well dressed with a lieutenant's badge on his collar. I remarked that I was nothing strange. He then told me that the young man was not a man but a female."

That female Lieutenant was Amy Clarke. Amy, from Iuka, Mississippi, enlisted with her husband, Walter, into a cavalry regiment when she was 30 years old. Walter died at Shiloh and Amy left the cavalry shortly thereafter. She then enlisted with the 11th Tennessee Infantry under the name of Richard Anderson. The Dec. 30, 1862 Jackson Mississippian reported that Amy had personally buried her husband on the battlefield, then continued to fight in until she was wounded twice, once in ankle, then in the breast. At some point, Amy was captured and sent back across the lines in a dress. [Sources differ as to when exactly she was wounded, captured and discovered - either before or during her infantry experience] Clarke made her way back to Braxton Bragg's command. At some point during this time Amy had been given a promotion to Lieutenant. Robert Hodges account to his father is the last record that anyone has, up to this point, about Amy Clarke. xxviii

Henry, Margaret and Wright, Mary

These two "dashing young creatures" were captured and imprisoned by Federal soldiers for burning bridges around the Nashville area few weeks before the end of the war. xxix

Velasquez, Loretta

Lt. Harry Buford is the name claimed to have been taken by Loretta Velasquez during the war. She also claims to have raised a battalion of Arkanasans in 1861, served at First Manassas, Balls Bluff, Fort Pillow, and Shiloh; and to have romanced women while in disguise. One is unable to separate the fact from the fiction when dealing with this person's account. However, there is a confirmed story of a Laura J. Williams from Arkansas, disguised as Lt. Henry Benford, who raised and commanded at company of Texans early in the war and who fought at Shiloh and in the Western Theater. Could Velasquez be this Laura Williams? Or was she "borrowing" information for her own character?

Madame Velasquez also claims that one of the aliases she used for espionage was Alice Williams. There was indeed a person of that description arrested in Richmond, imprisoned at Castle Thunder and released upon establishment of identity. Richmond papers praised Mrs. Williams work as a nurse and a soldier, but refrained from mentioning any espionage activity.

Harry Birch, a reporter with the New York Herald, was imprisoned at the same time as Mrs. Williams. Much of what he wrote about her is contained in the Velasquez account. Birch said the woman was released when proof came that she was a Confederate agent and that she told him that she was going to Washington on a mission. Three weeks after her discharge from prison, a guard had a letter from her written from Washington.

Velazquez account mentions having had four husbands, two killed in battle, one shortly after the war, and one in the 1870's. She mentions traveling to Europe, Latin America and the Far West, claiming involvement with a Confederate colony in Venezuela.

Many questions when reading Mrs. Velasquez account when compared to other writer's accounts and the adventures of known personages from that period. Obviously there was an Alice Williams, accounted for by Mr. Birch and there was a Laura Williams who aliased as Lt. Henry Benford. It's remarkable that the names Laura Williams, Alice Williams, Lt. Harry Buford, and Lt. Henry Benford are all so similar. Could this have been an attempt to change the names to protect the innocent? Could the change of names been for her own protection later in life?

Velasquez frankly admits that her book was written not "for laurels of any kind just now; and am much more anxious for the money that I hope this book will bring in to me than I am for the praises or either critics or public. The money I want badly, while praise, although it will not be ungratifying, I am sufficiently philosophical to get along without."

[dawna]

Shane:

Thank you for your efforts in starting this thread on female soldiers during the Civil War. I'm always been particularly interested in Sarah Emma Edmonds as we are both originally from the Maritimes.

Dawna

[jenna]

Dawna,

Since you are our Canadian connection, I have a question that you might have the info for. Did Sarah ever go back to Canada as Frank Thompson??? My mom recently showed me a book that contradicts what I had previously read, that her mom died and her father was a jerk and that she left Canada for the US because of this. Talk about getting two different stories from two different books.

Thanks,
Jenna

[scone]

I'm not sure how I missed this thread but I did.

Although I dont have the Doc. of what I have read. I have read that there was a wounded female confederate soldiers found at Chickamuga, Gettysburg and unknown female bones found at shiloh.

May we never forget..

Steven

[cpl_lewis]

As a female portraying a male in our unit; I can tell you I probably would have done the same things that these ladies did......... they are truly an inspiration

[jenna]

From the book : The Civil War Book of Lists:

Eight Women known to have enlisted in the Confederate Army:
1&2: Mary and Molly Bell, discovered in Oct. of 1864 in Jbal Early's command, having by then served for two years as Tom Parker and Bob Martin.

3: Malina Blalock, enlisted with her husband in the 26th North Carolina, under the name "Sam Blalock" and served for two months

4: Amy Clarke, enlisted with her husband, and continued in the ranks after he fell at Shiloh, her sex only being revealed when, on the occasion of a serious wound, she was captured by Union troops, who gave her a dress and sent her south.

5:&6: Margaret Henry and Mary Wright, captured in uniform by Union troops in Tennessee in March of 1865

7: Laura J. Williams, reputedly raised a company of Texans early in the war in the guise of " Lt. Henry Benford" leading it as Shiloh and in several other actions.

8: Loreta Janeta Velasquesz, who may have served, but whos account, "The Women in Battle" was based heavily on the adventrues of Laura J. Williams

Book note: There were other women detected in the ranks, but none are known by even the fragment of a name.

Therre was also one woman chaplin, and proudly enough, she served with the 1st. Wisconsin Heavy Artillary, a Ella H. Gibson.

[13th Illinois]

Albert Cashier's real name was Jennie Hodgers not Irene Hodgers. She enlisted in Belvidere, IL. She died in Saunemin, IL where she is buried.

13th Illinois

[cw1865]

Originally Posted by jenna

1&2: Mary and Molly Bell, discovered in Oct. of 1864 in Jbal Early's command, having by then served for two years as Tom Parker and Bob Martin.

It must be difficult to keep up the subterfuge. Also goes to show you that the medical exams to get into the military weren't too stringent.

[Paul L. Hulse]

Shane
I have been researching Confederate Brigadier General John H. Winder, which natuarally means looking at Andersonville. While I am not surprised with the fact that many females served in the CW, I was surprised that one (could be many more) was a prisoner at Andersonville. When the Union soldiers died, the other prisoners would strip all useful clothing from them before they were buried. That's how this soldier was discovered to be a female. I would like to know the name of this female that died and what Regiment she served in. Do you have any inoformationon her? I live 60 miles from Andersonville so if you have no info I can go there.

Paul

[larry_cockerham]

Don't forget Mrs. James Knox Polk and the ladies around Nashville who assisted with the spy effort. Much information on Union plans were acquired without firing a shot. Also honorable mention should go to Gen. Hooker's ladies who advanced medical science by encouraging more research on treating infectious diseases.