The Woman in Battle: Soldier, Spy and Secret Service Agent for the Confederacy During the American Civil War, Velazquez Loreta Janeta

There are several accounts told through the ages, and concerning several conflicts, of women who went to war for the cause they espoused and who not only performed extraordinary feats of daring and bravery, but acted disguised and undetected in the roles of men. The history of the American Civil War offers several examples where the women concerned came from both sides of the conflict and all are incredible. Several of these dauntless Amazons have left posterity riveting accounts of their experiences, but among them all this book, written by the Cuban born Loreta Janeta Velazquez, is widely regarded not only as an extraordinary narrative among those where all are extraordinary, but also as an account of a womans wartime experiences that has virtually no equal in history. This was an exceptional woman by any standards and her story will inform, astonish and entertain. Indeed, it has long been the subject of disputed veracity in its entirety, but modern historians have confirmed much of its authenticity. If it does contain a few tall stories it will not be exceptional among memoirs irrespective of the gender of the author. Loreta enlisted for the South in 1861 as a regular soldier and, of course, as a man, under the name of Lieutenant Harry Buford. She fought at First Bull Run, Balls Bluff, Fort Donelson and at Shiloh. This remarkable woman then gave up uniform to travel behind the Union lines, there working as a spy, gathering intelligence and undertaking other dangerous and subversive activities on behalf of the Confederacy. This is an indispensable book for all those interested in outstanding women of action. Available in softcover and hardcover with dustjacket.