Civil War: Women in Combat

 

Harriet Tubman. Born into slavery, Tubman escaped in 1849 and became the most famous conductor on the Underground Railroad. During the war, she served the Union as a nurse, scout, and spy in South Carolina. In 1863, she became the first woman to lead a major military raid—the Combahee River Raid—freeing over 700 enslaved people while disrupting Confederate supply lines. Her bravery combined abolitionism with direct combat support, making her a symbol of resistance and freedom.

Sarah Emma Edmonds (Frank Thompson). Edmonds disguised herself as a man named Frank Thompson and enlisted in the Union Army's 2nd Michigan Infantry. She served as a soldier, nurse, and spy in battles including Antietam and Bull Run before illness forced her out. Her story (one of hundreds of documented female soldiers) proved women's physical and mental resilience in combat.

The Confederate Woman: Soldier and Spy

Women Doctors in the Civil War