The Washington times., 1894-10-21
WERE FEMININE WARRIORS
Maids and Matrons Served Their
Country During the Civil War.
AS BOTH SOLDIERS AND SPIES
The Illinois Women Were Fearless Fighters
Miss Ford, Of Fairfax, Va, Famous
Scout, Was Noted for Her Work in tae
Secret seTvice-other Noted Names.

Women Of all ranks and positions took part
in the late civil war. not only as spies, but
also as private soldiers and holding honor
ary commissions. It is difficult to say whether
their motives were like those Of Joan OF Arc
the salvation OF their country-or merely love
Of excitement. But 1t is astonishing to find,
In talking with ez-oGleers, how many OF the
other sex did share the hardsbips OF battle,
some openly confesslng their sex, others dis
! gu!sed as men.
Every one knows of Belle Boyd, the famons
SPY, but there are many whose names never
| became famous, but whose work was as subtle
and as daring.
Brig. Gen. Baker, OF the secret service dur
| ing the civil war, tells OF the work Of Miss
! Ford. who was devoted little rebel, and
lived at fairfax Court House. Hor fathers
homo was headquarters for the staff officers
| OF tho Union, and Miss Ford was quite
belle among Ghem. sho was, to Ill purposes,
| for tho Union. and tho officers beloved in
! her 60 the eItenf OF telling her much OF tho
| strength OF the Army. By careful inTestiga-
| tion and cioso observation eho obtained In q
! seemingly careless nanaoT all information
y
! Tho oaly frequent visI-oc 6ho haa was an
| urpTetcntious, provincial youth. Ulo would
! Sit on tho piazza With h5T IN tho afternoon
| exciting 70 Suspicion. TIC youth was
!IosbY. tho iaT7us guerrilla, and Miss Ford,
WHO YGo honorary aide.de-cGnD 10 BJic.
| Gen. J. Q. .. D.Gart, was SiviCG hin tho Tdolc
! ScnGalo RaG Strength OF the Union forces,
/ wDcTe tao p:ckct5 were stationed. tho
stron2th c tho ou!ros.s. tho names OF officers
| in command. tho nature OF general orders
the places wbeTo officers quar.asa were c.
| tnblishcd, aad tho number OF officers pres
/ ent.
Once when she was riding with Union
! officer. 0Iosby joined them in his unfashion-
able citizens clothes; Miss Ford introduced
! him under his assumed name, and joining
| them for few miles he learned much that he
| wished to know That night Mosby was en-
! abled through Miss Fords information to
make the attack upon Gen. Stoughton, carry
| ing officers rs prisoners, also valuable prop
erty, and capturing 100 fine horses. 1t was
| this affair which called forth Lincoln's well
known remark that 'it was a great pity he
could make brigadier generals, but couldn't
make horses.
WOMAN TO CATCH WOMAN
The true circumstances and mode of at
tack, the accurate information in possession
/ of the Confederate leader, all pointed unmis-
takably to the existence of a spy within the
/ lines, so woman was sent TO meet woman.
/ One of the female detectives of the secret
! service went to Miss Ford, represented her
! self as Southern woman, asking protection
/ TO reach the Confederate lines. and the two
/ women became friends. In burst of conf
/ dence Miss Ford showed the detective the
! sealed commission Of aide-de-camp. which she
/ kept between her mattresses. She was ar
1 rested and sent TO Old Capitol prison.
There was another distinguished female
! captive at this prison at the same time and
! she was Southerner. Disguised in soldiers
! clothes she had entered too far into the
| lines and was arrested for SPY. In telling
| of her Maj. Gen. Townsend SAYS: ''She had
no friends in the city to supply her with ap-
| propriate clothing. It was at last reported
! TO me that, being greatly mortified regarding
! her raiment, she stayed in bed all the time
| rather than appear in it after her sex had been
| detected l mentioned her dilemma to that
most worthy, true-hearted Presbyterian
divine, Dr. John c. Smith. and suggested that
| his wife might be disposed to visit the little
prisoner and provide her with female apparel.
''Some time after the doctor told me that
! Mrs. Smith went to see her. and found the
! young woman in bed. But it transpired that
in the course of the interview the little soldier
| expressed to Mrs. Smith so emphaticaly her
! opinion of Yankees and all their doings, that
| the clergymans wife grew indignant, and left,
| declaring the woman soldier might remain in
| bed forever or wear her male garb until it
! dropped off, before she would help her out"
! So the brigadier-generala and the Presbyterian
minister stood helpless between the two
women's temper.
PHENOMENAL ORDERLY SERGEANT.
Many women there were who shouldered
the musket, rode until they dropped, and
| stood fire like man. With dozens of these
! their sex was not discovered until they were
| carried into the surgeons tent wounded. One
| of the unique announcements of such case
! Of mistaken Identity was posted IN the head
| quarters of Gen. Rosecrans.
! 1t explains itself:
HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE CUM
BERLAND, April II, 1868.
GENERAL: The general commanding directs
| me 70 call your attention to fragrant out
| rage committed in your commando young
! person having been admitted inside your
lines without pass, and in violation of your
| orders. The case is one which calls for your
| personal attention, and the general COM
manding directs that you should deal with
the offending party according to law.
| The medical director reports that an or
| derly sergeant in Brigadier General -
division was today delivered of a daughter.
| which is in violation OF all military law and
| the Army regulations. No such case has been
Ono OF the women who distinguished her
| self nobly in the soldering of the Army was
Mrs Annie Etheridge of Wisconsin, who was
in the second battle of Bull Run, and had
public recognition from Gen. Kearny of her
services. His death prevented her promotion.
| She was often under fire. An officer was once
| shot down by her side, and once when rebel
officer was captured Mrs. Etheridge escorted
him to the rear by the generals command. At
| Spottsylvania Heights, when the soldiers
were retreating, she demonstrated with them
ana brought them back, altogether proving
herself q daring soldier. She received gov
ernment appointment after the war.
N AN ILLINOIS REGIMENT.
Nine. Lurchin, another woman Of high
birth, fought on the Union side. She was
the daughter of Russian officer, bo m in a
Russian camp, and was the wife of Col. Lur-
chin, of an illinois regiment. During an i'll
ofb has md ba toO 80