An Uncommon Soldier: The Civil War Letters of Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, alias Pvt. Lyons Wakeman, 153rd Regiment, New York State Volunteers, 1862-1864

by Sarah Rosetta Wakeman and Lauren Cook Burgess

Book Overview

"I don't know how long before i shall have to go into the field of battle. For my part i don't care. I don't feel afraid to go. I don't believe there are any Rebel's bullet made for me yet."--Pvt.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195102436
• ISBN13: 9780195102437
• Release Date: February 1996
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

An Uncommon Soldier

The book is great and Lauren Cook Burgess does a superb job of compiling and explaining this book. However, she does appear to be entirely unfamiliar with gender identity issues and makes no distinctions between Wakeman and his truly female counterparts. I would never see Wakeman as a woman and it certainly sounds like he didn't view himself as one either. Although many women did disguise themselves as men to join the war out of a sense of patriotism or to follow a husband or boyfriend or as a spy, Wakeman was already living as a male before joining the war. He referred to the "other boys" receiving packages which indicates that he saw himself as one as well. (Albert Cashier is another Civil War soldier whom I believe identified as male. He went on to live as male for the rest of his life.) Wakeman wrote of owning a farm one day far from home which indicates that his neighbors were not very accepting of his gender differences. This sounds to me like it was a lifelong issue, which is true of being transgendered. Wakeman writes in the voice of a male. If you didn't know about his gender differences, you would assume he was male - which I believe that he was, in spite of his having been born in a female body.

An uncommon soldier, an extraordinary book

"An Uncommon Soldier: The Civil War Letters of Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, alias Pvt. Lyons Wakeman, 153d Regiment, New York State Volunteers, 1862-1864" is edited by Lauren Cook Burgess and contains a foreword by James M. McPherson. The book collects the letters of a young woman who disguised herself as a man in order to enlist in the Union army during the United States Civil War. In her letters Sarah discusses the draft, army training, pay, troops' living conditions, and her relationship with her family. Along the way she reveals interesting facts about army life. But her letters do more than just convey facts. We also learn of her religious faith, her pride as a soldier, and her hopes for the future. Her letters reveal a courageous, determined, and feisty personality. The book is full of illuminating features. There are many period photos that help bring Sarah and her world to life. There are even photos of her handwritten letters and of army records that document her military career. Also included in the book are maps of relevant military sites, a history of her army unit, her family genealogy, a comprehensive bibliography, and an index. The book's introduction, which notes that hundreds of women masqueraded as men in order to fight in the Civil War, helps put these letters in perspective. Also fascinating is McPherson's foreword, which relates the ironic story of editor Burgess' experience as a "Civil War reenactor." I was deeply moved by this book. It's a poignant and inspiring human document. In the end I came away with a great feeling of admiration for this remarkable soldier. As a veteran of another century's war, I salute Private Wakeman and thank Burgess for her outstanding work. Recommended companion text: the novel "Girl in Blue," by Ann Rinaldi.

A must-have about one of many women's role in the Civil War

Lauren Cook Burgess has given us an important look into the heart of one (of what is turning out to be many)woman's story who fought dressed as a man in the American Civil War. Crossing the gender line was not just a daytime exercise for these women and Wakeman's revelations about what it was like for her to live as a man amongst men who were serving their country.Driven more by economics than patriotism, Wakeman's letters reveal a woman who desired to be economically self-sufficient and who embraced one of the few options available to women in the 1860s by cross-dressing. It is a fascinating read for what it tells us about gender, war, comraderie, and the economic stresses that women from poor backgrounds faced in the 19th century. It is a miracle to have this information, scant as it may be, so that we can celebrate women's achievements in this bloody war that claimed so many young lives and literally changed the course of U.S. History.

Loved It

If you want to know what it would of been like to have been poor and chose to go into the Army, this is the book. The amazing part is that this book reminds us how gender has nothing to do with duty and honor. I have read a lot of Civil War books and this one I will always remember. I can still picture her guarding the unfinished capitol building. You cheer her all the way through the book. The honor she is paid is all that she would have asked. We owe so much to those like her, men and women. The author should be commended for sharing Sarah Wakeman'experience with us.

This book is a must read for women and civil war enthusiasts

Lauren Cook Burgess has given women and civil war enthusiasts a thorough and dignified work to read. I was especially grateful for the attention to detail and refrain from "second guessing" Sarah. As a woman and historian I am proud of the professional presentation and background information provided to the reader. This is one more work to smash the "myths" that women do not belong in combat or in war. As a writer, I am thankful to Ms. Burgess for her treatment of these letters, as they are a piece of history that can not be replaced. Thank you for bringing Sarah's life and story to the public, daughters and sisters need hero's too.