Women in the Civil War

by Larry G. Eggleston

  Researchers have recently located her grave in St. Paul’s Cemetery in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. She was honored on September 25, 1988, when a headstone was placed on her grave.

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  Notable Daughters of the Regiment

  Many women who felt a deep loyalty to their husbands and wanted to be at their side during the great conflict accompanied them and served in their regiment. They endured all the same hardships of army life while serving as vivandieres, Daughters of the Regiments, flag bearers, cooks, laundresses, seamstresses, nurses, scouts, soldiers and sometimes as spies.

  These brave, dedicated women often distinguished themselves with acts of bravery and loyalty to their regiments. Such is the case of the following two Daughters of the Regiment.

  Bridget Divers—Daughter of the Regiment

  She had seen more danger and death and endured more hardship than any other woman during the Civil War. Her name was Bridget Divers. She was an Irish immigrant who had entered the United States in 1855 and settled in Michigan. She was in her early twenties when she and her husband decided to enlist in the army.

  Her husband enlisted as a private in the 1st Michigan Cavalry. She went into the army with him as Daughter of the Regiment and vivandiere. She was already well skilled in riding, foraging, and hunting and adapted quickly to regimental life.

  The 1st Michigan Cavalry was formed at Detroit, Michigan, on August 16, 1861, and was mustered into Federal service on September 13, 1861. The 1st Michigan Cavalry fought in most of the major battles of the Civil War including:

  The Battle of Winchester, Virginia, May 25, 1862

  The Battle of Cedar Mountain, Virginia, August 9, 1862

  The Battle of Second Manassas/Bull Run, August 28–30, 1862

  The Battle of Gettysburg, July 1–3, 1863

  The Battle of the Wilderness, May 5–6, 1864

  The Battle of Cold Harbor, May 31–June 12, 1864

  The Third Battle of Winchester, September 19, 1864

  After participating in the grand review in Washington, D.C., on May 23, 1865, the 1st Michigan Cavalry was assigned to Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, and participated in the Powder River Expedition.

  This expedition was against the Indians in District of the Plains and Dakota and lasted from July–November 1865. The 1st Michigan Cavalry was then on duty in Utah until March 1866. They were mustered out of service on March 10, 1866. The 1st Michigan Cavalry lost 414 men during its service. Fourteen officers and 150 enlisted men were killed or morally wounded and 6 officers and 244 enlisted men died from disease.

  Bridget Divers’ courage and dedication to her regiment during the many battles soon earned her the nickname of “Irish Biddy.” Some referred to her as “Michigan Bridget.”

  She went into the battlefields with the regiment either carrying the flag or water and supplies to tend the wounded soldiers. Many times she would take up arms and join in the fighting to replace a fallen soldier. It is reported that she had at least four horses shot out from under her during the fierce battles she participated in. However, as dangerous as it was for her in these many battles, she served through the entire war without once being wounded.

  Her deep dedication to her regiment was demonstrated after a battle in which the regiment’s colonel was seriously wounded and its captain was killed. She nursed the colonel the best she could but soon realized that he needed professional help. She had him placed on a train and accompanied him to City Point where he could get the help he needed. She rested at City Point and then proceeded back to her regiment.

  Upon arriving at her regiment she inquired about the captain and was informed that his body had been left on the battlefield. The battlefield was now behind Confederate lines. This situation was unacceptable to Bridget. She mounted her horse and headed deep into enemy territory to recover the body of her captain.

  She located the body and managed to place it on the back of her horse and headed back toward the Union lines. She was stopped several times by Confederate pickets but after explaining that she was only retrieving a body, they let her pass. She had carried her captain’s body for 15 miles on horseback, had him placed on the train, procured a coffin for him, and had him sent home. She had worked for 48 hours without sleep, tending the wounded from the battle, which she described as the worst battle they had ever been in.

  Bridget Divers’ devotion to her regiment became well known among the Union troops. She was many times the last to leave the battlefield and often carried wounded men who would otherwise have been left to die off the field.

  There is some confusion among historians about whether Bridget Divers served the entire war with the 1st Michigan Cavalry or if she had also served with the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th Michigan Regiments. This confusion arises from the account of her rallying the Union troops at the Battle of Seven Pines (Fair Oaks), Virginia, on May 31 through June 4, 1862. Historical documentation places her at this battlefield. The 1st Michigan Cavalry was not there, but the 2nd Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment was. Perhaps she was temporarily reassigned or volunteered to help at the battle while her regiment was in between engagements. For whatever the reason she was instrumental in giving needed inspiration and confidence to the battle-weary Union troops.

  The Union troops were having their lunch when the first volley was let go by the Confederates. This surprise attack caused many Union soldiers to jump to their feet and grab their weapons. However, many others became panic stricken by the surprise and resisted attempts to be rallied into action. When ordered to advance they were hesitant until Bridget Divers stood in front of them, waving her soldiers cap and shouting, “Hurray, go in boys and beat the hell out of them and revenge my husband.” With this the troops rallied and gave three cheers for “Irish Biddy.” These inspired troops drove the Confederate troops back and held the line. The Union losses during the battle were 5,000 while the Confederate losses were 6,000.

  After the Civil War ended Bridget participated in the Grand Review on May 23, 1865, in Washington, D.C., with the 1st Michigan Cavalry. She stayed with the regiment when it was assigned to Ft. Leavenworth to participate in the Powder River Campaign. It is reported that after the 1st Michigan Cavalry was mustered out of service on March 10, 1866, Bridget stayed with the army in a different unit and went west to serve in the Indian Wars during the late 1860s and 1870s. There is no further word about her life or how and where she died. Another great heroine lost to history.

  Belle Reynolds: Daughter of the Regiment

  So impressive was her loyalty and dedication to her regiment that the governor of Illinois commissioned her as an honorary major in the army.

  Belle Reynolds was born Arabella Macomber in Shelbourne Falls, Massachusetts, in 1843. When she was 14 years old her family moved to rural Iowa. After returning to Massachusetts for an education she came back to Cass County, Iowa, where she was a schoolteacher.

  In 1860, at the age of 17, she married John G. Reynolds and moved to Peoria, Illinois. She was only 18 years old when the Civil War began, and her husband announced that he had decided to enlist in the army. He joined the newly organized 17th Illinois Infantry Regiment as a lieutenant. The 17th Illinois Infantry was formed at Peoria, Illinois, and mustered into Federal service on May 24, 1861. They were sent to Birds Point, Missouri, where Belle joined her husband on August 20, 1861.

  With the 17th Illinois Infantry Belle experienced their first taste of war on November 7, 1861, at the Battle of Belmont, Missouri, under the command of a new brigadier general named Ulysses Simpson Grant. The 17th Illinois spent the winter of 1862 at Cape Girardeau, Missouri, as General Grant planned his strategy for opening the way to conquer Tennessee.

  Through the winter of 1862 Belle stayed with the regiment. She traveled by army wagon, in an ambulance, by mule, and by marching with the regiment with a musket on her soldier.

  The 17th Illinois Infantry participated in the Battle of Fort Henry on February 2–6 and the Battle of Fort Donelson on February 12–16, 1862.
After these battles they set up camp at a place called Pittsburg Landing (Shiloh).

  On Sunday April 6, 1862, Confederate forces attacked the Union encampment at Shiloh. As the Confederate troops overran the Union camp, Belle and the one other woman in the camp were caught in a crossfire. They fled to the river where the wounded soldiers were being taken aboard the steamer Emerald. Belle and her friend took off their bonnets, rolled up their sleeves and went to work on the ship nursing the wounded soldiers. There were 350 wounded soldiers aboard the ship and Belle worked without rest for 36 hours straight. In the early morning hours of April 7, the Emerald quietly slipped away from Pittsburg Landing and sailed for Savannah where the wounded were unloaded.

  After the Battle of Shiloh, the bravery and dedication of Belle Reynolds became well known. The governor of Illinois signed an order on April 16, 1862, making Belle Reynolds an official Daughter of the Regiment and making her an honorary major in the army, for her distinguished service to the Union.

  Her husband, Lt. John G. Reynolds, was made aide-de-camp to General John Alexander McClernand. Belle became a good friend to Mrs. McClernand and Mrs. Grant.

  After returning to her regiment she and her husband saw battle two more times. They participated in the Battle of Port Gibson on May 1, 1863, and the siege and surrender of Vicksburg, Mississippi, on May 19 through July 4, 1863.

  Except for a short visit home in 1862 Belle stayed with the regiment during its full enlistment period and distinguished herself as a brave, dedicated, nurse and loyal patriot. The 17th Illinois Infantry Regiment was mustered out of service on June 4, 1864. Their losses in the three years were 3 officers and 71 enlisted men killed in battle and 1 officer and 71 enlisted men dead from disease for a total loss of 146 men.

  After the Reynoldses were mustered out they returned to their home in Peoria, Illinois. After the war ended they moved to Santa Barbara, California. Belle was honored in 1891 by a visit from the President of the United States, Benjamin Harrison.

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  Emma Sansom: Southern Patriot

  Her single act of heroism resulted in one of the most unusual captures of Union troops during the Civil War. This 15-year-old girl’s bravery inspired the Southern cause. Her name was Emma Sansom.

  Emma Sansom was born in 1847 at Social Circle, Georgia. Her father moved the family to a farm near Gadsden, Alabama, in 1852. Emma had one older sister and one brother. By the time the Civil War had begun, Emma’s father had passed away. In August 1861 her brother enlisted in the 19th Alabama Infantry leaving Emma, with her mother and sister, to run the farm.

  The events leading up to Emma’s heroic deed began when General Rosencrans, who was being harassed by Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest, sent a mounted column of 1,500 men under Colonel Abel Streight to hunt down and defeat General Forrest. This would put a stop to General Forrest’s raids, which were hampering Union operations in Tennessee.

  Colonel Streight set out across Tennessee in pursuit of Forrest. The pursuit did not last long as General Forrest turned and began to chase Colonel Streight. For some reason, Colonel Streight was overly cautious and not knowing Forrest’s strength, but well aware of his reputation, began to flee. Forrest pursued the Union troops out of Tennessee and into Alabama.

  On the morning of May 2, 1863, Colonel Streight’s soldiers rode past Emma’s home. They noticed her brother (probably visiting on furlough) and took him prisoner. After searching the house for guns and ammunition, the Union troops took hot coals out of the stove and rode toward the bridge over Black Creek. Black Creek had high bluffs on each side and could only be crossed by the wooden bridge. The Union troops planned to burn the bridge and stop their pursuers.

  When General Nathan Bedford Forrest and his Confederate troops rode past the house they noticed the burned-out bridge and saw no way to cross the creek in pursuit of Colonel Streight. Seeking help to solve his problem, General Forrest rode up to the small farmhouse and asked the young girl who was standing on the porch if there was a place his troops could cross the stream either above or below the burned-out bridge. He told Emma not to be afraid, that he was General Forrest and that he would protect her.

  When he inquired about the Union troops, Emma’s mother told him that the Yankees had burned the bridge and were waiting on the other side for Forrest’s troops to come down the hill toward the bridge so they could ambush them. When the rest of Forrest’s men arrived and took their positions, both sides began firing across the river at each other.

  General Forrest asked Emma if there was another way across the river. She was very excited by this time and began giving him directions to a spot two miles down river where her cows crossed during times of low water. General Forrest could not understand her directions and asked her to show him the way.

  Emma, realizing that he did not understand, agreed to show him the way and asked that he saddle a horse for her. General Forrest said that there was no time to saddle a horse and invited her to ride behind him on his horse.

  Emma’s mother objected to her going off with the soldiers and to her riding behind General Forrest. Emma assured her mother that she was not afraid to trust herself with such a brave man as General Forrest. She then jumped up on the stump of a fallen tree, grabbed General Forrest by the waist and mounted his horse.

  As they drew near the ford, General Forrest noticed a Yankee sharpshooter on the ridge above them. Soon a minié ball whistled past his ear. “What was that?” Emma asked. “Bullets,” he replied. “Are you afraid?” She told him she wasn’t and they proceeded. The undergrowth grew thick as they approached the ford area and they were forced to dismount. Emma went ahead of the general, remarking that they wouldn’t shoot her but they would shoot him if he went first. General Forrest appreciated the gesture, but not wanting to shield himself behind the brave young girl, took the lead.

  Once the route through the underbrush was found, the general brought up troops with axes and cleared a path for the soldiers to approach the ford. The entire column was able to cross in safety.

  Upon saying goodbye and thanking Emma, General Forrest asked if there was anything he might do for her in return for her valuable service. She told him that the Yankees he was pursuing had taken her brother prisoner and if General Forrest would release him she would be more than repaid. The general looked at his pocket watch. It was five to eleven. “Tomorrow at five minutes to eleven your brother will be returned to you.”

  General Forrest’s troops soon were ahead of the Union troops and turned to surround them. Colonel Streight asked for a truce. As the two commanders conferred, Forrest kept his two cannons and his men circling the Union troops. It was only after Colonel Streight had surrendered his remaining 1,466 men that he found out that General Forrest had only 500 troops with him.

  General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

  By ten o’clock the next morning General Streight and his whole command had been captured. Emma’s brother was located and released. He was given a fast horse and told to return to his heroic sister. General Forrest sent her a thank you note. Emma’s courage and patriotism contributed to the success of one of the most remarkable cavalry pursuits and captures of the Civil War.

  Two years later, in 1864, she married C. B. Johnson, a Confederate soldier of the 10th Alabama Infantry Regiment. Also in 1864 she was honored by the Alabama legislature which awarded her a medal and promised her a section of land for her heroic contribution to the Confederate war effort. After the war, the promise of land was not honored by the Reconstruction legislature. The promise was eventually made good by the Alabama legislature in 1899.

  By 1899, when the promise was honored, Emma was a widow living in Calloway, Texas, with her five sons and two daughters. One year later, in 1900, Emma Sansom died in Calloway at the age of 53.

  After her death, John Trotwood Moore composed a ballad to honor her wartime heroism titled “The Ballad of Emma Sansom.”

  On July 4, 1907, a monument to Emma
Sansom was unveiled in Gadsden, Alabama, near the site of her courageous deed, depicting her as a Confederate heroine.

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  Anna Ella Carroll: Union Pamphleteer and Spy

  Anna Ella Carroll proposed one of the most brilliant plans for shortening or ending the Civil War. The plan worked as she expected, but she never received credit or compensation for her idea.

  Anna Ella Carroll was born on August 29, 1815, in Kingston Hall, Maryland. She was the daughter of Thomas King Carroll and Juliana (Stevenson) Carroll. The Carrolls had several children, of which Anna was the eldest. They lived in Kingston Hall until 1829 when her father was elected governor of the state Maryland. Anna accompanied her father to Annapolis, leaving her mother with her younger brothers and sisters at home in Kingston Hall.

  Anna, a well-educated and charming young redhead, soon adapted to the Maryland social set. She was referred to as “Princess Anne” by Maryland society.

  In 1830, after a year of supporting two households, Anna’s father was forced to move the family to a less costly home in Cambridge, Maryland.

  Also in 1830, Anna began writing anonymously on political subjects, mostly for the “Know-Nothing Party.” She forwarded the majority of her writing income to help her family.

  By early 1861 she had become a well-known political writer. Her writing ability caught the attention of President Lincoln and his cabinet. The Assistant Secretary of War, Thomas A. Scott, under orders from President Lincoln, contacted Anna and commissioned her to write and publish 10,000 copies of a document entitled “The Reply” which strongly condemned the secession of the Southern states who had left the Union. In addition to this pamphlet she was commissioned to publish two more documents entitled “The War Powers of the General Government 1861,” and “The Relation of the National Government to the Revolted Citizens Defined” (1862). These additional documents pointed out that secession was unconstitutional and the formation of the Confederacy was an act of rebellion.