“America will not be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedom, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”
– Abraham Lincoln
Loreta Janeta Velazquez from New Orleans fought for the Confederacy as Lt. Harry T. Buford from 1861-1862. After being wounded in the battle of Shiloh in April 1862, she served as a spy gathering vital intelligence for the CSA.
Jenny Hodgers served under the guise of Pvt. Albert Cashier in the 95th Illinois Infantry was believed to living as a man pre-war working as a general laborer, farmhand and shepherd who maintained her disguise post-war.
Frances Louisa Clayton from Minnesota who served as Pvt. Jack Williams was reported to have fought for Missouri in both cavalry and artillery units from 1861-1863.
Sarah Emma Edmonds served as Pvt. Franklin Thompson in the 2nd Michigan Infantry and was publicly recognized post-war for her service as a soldier, nurse and spy for the Union Army. In 1884 Congress awarded her a pension of $12 a month.