Changed the floor to fight

The traditional story of the Civil war in America is the revenge of the historical accounts, told by men who fought as Yanks or the confederates in the 1860-ies. But along with them in the war took part, and women are specially dressed in male military uniform and went to the battlefields. Historians call this fact "the most guarded secret of the Civil war". Recorded more than 250 cases where women cut your hair, changed clothing and went into battle. At the same time it was an act of rebellion against discrimination and the manifestation of true patriotism.

Habitual women's role in the war at that time — dedicated by a nurse or a treacherous spy. In the extreme case — a faithful wife waiting at home her husband and sons. The real story radically changes this picture. Women have grabbed the weapons and rushed into battle. They lived in field camps, languished in a terrible prison and died in agony, but honorably, for their country.

Soldier albert Quarry, which is actually called Jenny Hodgers. Under the guise of an Alberta woman has participated in dozens of Civil war battlefields. In 1913 front-page newspaper headlines about her exposure.

Before you dress in a soldier's uniform, Louise Clayton enlisted the support of her husband, who himself wrote a woman in a soldier's garrison. To go for her, Louise began to smoke cigars, have become a lot of cursing and has mastered many of gambling.

The case of Sarah Edmonds is the most famous in history: two years the woman served in the Union army under the name Franklin Thompson, and then received a military pension for 25 years.

After the outbreak of Civil war in the U.S. a girl dressed as a man and joined the army. Sarah-Frank even decided to make a scout and was dressed in the woman that she aroused the suspicions of the enemy.

Why did they do it? Someone out of obligation. The other reason was the love of husbands and brothers — they went with them not to leave. But the main reason was social inequality, which during the war had led to poverty.

Women belonging to the working classes, could not find a decent job, and the salary of a seamstress or washerwoman was less than half the salary that is received on a monthly basis soldiers. Everything was solved by itself: careful hungry, the brave went to war to risk their lives and livelihoods.

Soldiers of the army of the Union with candy brown later received the title "Heroine Newbern" for having risked his life to save his comrades during the battle of Newburn.

Deborah Sampson in uniform, hiding under the name of Robert Shirtliff.

If deception was revealed, in the best case, the women were thrown out of the camps without a penny. They were dismissed with the remark "due to the inherent features" or "because of sexual incompatibility".