“Albert Cashier” served three years in the Union Army and passed
successfully as a man until 1911 when the aging veteran was revealed
to be a woman named Jennie Hodgers. Frances Clayton kept fighting
even after her husband was gunned down in front of her at the Battle
of Murfreesboro. And more than one soldier astonished “his”
comrades-in-arms by giving birth in camp.
This lively and
authoritative book opens a hitherto neglected chapter of Civil War
history, telling the stories of hundreds of women who adopted male
disguise and fought as soldiers. It explores their reasons for
enlisting; their experiences in combat, and the way they were seen by
their fellow soldiers and the American public. Impeccably researched
and narrated with verve and wit, They Fought Like Demons is a
major addition to our understanding of the Civil War era.