During the American Civil War, women were not allowed to fight in combat or perform any official duties in the military. However, they did serve as nurses and caregivers for both sides of the conflict. The U.S. Sanitary Commission was formed by men who wanted to improve medical care for soldiers on both sides of the war; it later became known as The United States Public Health Service. This organization recruited many women volunteers to serve as nurses in military hospitals and camps around the country. The Sanitary Commission also provided supplies such as food, clothing, blankets, and medicine for both Union and Confederate soldiers who were sick or wounded.
Many women played important roles in espionage activities during the Civil War. Several female spies from both Northern and Southern states worked undercover behind enemy lines to gather intelligence about troop movements and other military information that could be used by their side during battle preparations or in actual battles themselves when fighting broke out between opposing forces on either side of America’s bloodiest war between 1861-1865 (Frazier & Eakin).
Other women fought alongside male soldiers because they wanted to help end slavery. One notable example was Loreta Velazquez, who disguised herself as a man named Lt. Harry T. Buford in order to fight for the Union Army against slavery.
Women participated in the Underground Railroad, helping to smuggle slaves to freedom. Many women helped fugitive slaves escape through secret routes known as “Underground Railroads,” which led them either north or into Canada.
