An Uncommon Soldier: The Civil War Letters of Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, Alias Private Lyons Wakeman 153rd Regiment, New York State Volunteers

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In proportion to its size, this may be one of the most expensive additions to women's studies and military history of late. Yet it should be considered very seriously. It collects the letters of an upstate New York farmer's daughter who in 1862 disguised herself as a man to enlist in the Union army. Not the least remarkable thing about the slim volume is that it demonstrates how common this uncommon soldier's experiences were. Indeed, Wakeman was much more concerned with how the family farm was going than she was about the larger issues of a war in which she served for two years before dying of dysentery. This is only the second published personal account of one of the hundreds of women known to have served in male attire in the Civil War. It is well edited, and the commentary accompanying it is free of both contemporary political jargon and historical error. Roland Green

As the debate on the role of women in the military continues, an interesting historical footnote has been brought forth: the publication of the only known surviving set of letters of one of the estimated 400 women who disguised themselves as men to fight as soldiers in the Civil War. Born on a farm in New York in 1843, Wakeman was the oldest of nine children. Few details of her family life are known, nor what exactly precipitated her flight into the army, but glimpses of this strong-minded woman are provided throughout: "I am as independent as a hog on the ice. If it is God's will for me to fall in the field of battle, it is my will to go and never return home." Private Wakeman did not return home: she is buried under her masculine pseudonym. How many more women were buried as men? Civil War historian Burgess provides an intriguing introduction to what is sure to become an area of growing interest. Highly recommended.
Katherine Gillen, Mesa P.L., Ariz.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.