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

Book Description

"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. Lyons Wakeman Similar sentiments were expressed by tens of thousands of Civil War soldiers in their diaries and in their letters to loved ones at home. What transforms the letters of Pvt. Lyons Wakeman from merely interesting reading into a unique and fascinating addition to Civil War literature is who wrote them--for Private Wakeman was not what "he" seemed to be. The five-foot tall soldier's true identity was that of a simple young farm girl from central New York state named Sarah Rosetta Wakeman. Her letters, the only such correspondence known to exist, provide a rare glimpse of what life was like for a woman fighting as a common soldier in the Civil War under the guise of a man. Written shortly after she left home to pursue her fortune in 1862, Rosetta's letters over the next two years tell of army life in the defences of Washington, D.C. and on the march and in battle during the 1864 Louisiana Red River Campaign. She wrote frequently to her family in Afton, NY, and her letters contain feelings and observations like those expressed by the majority of her fellow soldiers. We read of her determination to perform honorably the duty required of a soldier, the trials of hard marching and combat, her pride in being able to "drill just as well as any man" in her regiment, and her eventual fatalistic attitude toward military service, and her frequent expressions of faith in God and the afterlife. Although Rosetta did not survive the war, her letters remain as an singular record of female military life in the ranks, a phenomenon largely ignored by historians and researchers. Private Wakeman was not alone in embarking on her strange adventure. Hundreds of women, from both the North and South, disguised themselves as men and enlisted in the armies of our nation's bloodiest war. The experiences of these women during the Civil War are just beginning to be recognized as elemental to understanding the life of this country during those turbulent times. Little is known about these women precisely because they enlisted and served in constant secrecy, fearful of revealing their true identities. This unique collection of letters offers a firsthand look at the personality and character of a woman who defied convention to take a man's place in the Union army.

Customer Reviews:

An Uncommon Soldier.......2005-09-18

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.......2005-02-11

"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 small but interesting book.......2002-02-24

I enjoyed this book. However, with only 110 pages, this book is very small. I thought it was going to be a little more detailed. Despite the size of the book it was interesting.

A must-have about one of many women's role in the Civil War.......2001-12-30

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.......2001-01-16

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.

Civil War Letters and Diary of Andrew H. Gale of the 137th Regiment, N.y.s.v.

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Civil War Letters and Diary of Andrew H. Gale of the 137th Regiment, N.y.s.v.
Richard T. Gillespie
Manufacturer: Heritage Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Mr. Dunn Browne's Experiences in the Army: The Civil War Letters of Samuel Fiske (North's Civil War Series, 6)

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Mr. Dunn Browne's Experiences in the Army: The Civil War Letters of Samuel Fiske (North's Civil War Series, 6)
Stephen Sears
Manufacturer: Fordham University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0823218333
Release Date: 1998-01-01

Dear Sarah: Letters Home from a Soldier of the Iron Brigade

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Letters home: simple and touching
Out of the Past: ACW Soldier Speaks to Us from His Heart

Dear Sarah: Letters Home from a Soldier of the Iron Brigade
John Henry Pardington
Manufacturer: Indiana University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0253335604

Book Description

Young Union corporal John Pardington, of the 24th Michigan Infantry of the famous Iron Brigade, wrote more than eighty letters to his wife and baby during campaigns from Fredericksburg to Chancellorsville. These touching love letters are made even more poignant because the reader is aware that Corporal Pardington will be killed at the Battle of Gettysburg.

Customer Reviews:

Letters home: simple and touching.......2006-12-08

This is a collection of the Civil War letters written by John Pardington to his wife Sarah. Pardington, from Michigan, was a member of the Iron Brigade, having enlisted in the summer of 1862. From camp life in and around Washingon to the Battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, Paddington faithfully writes his wife with particulars about army routines, concerns for staying healthy, and the misery of being so far away from her and their baby. He is rarely concerned with giving details about military maneuvers, his opinions about his officers, or with battle incidentals. He's a sensitive man and never fails to express his love for his family and the amount he misses them. He misses them so much that on a few occasions he thinks out loud to Sarah about deserting, but couldn't bare the disgrace. He worries about money and gives Sarah advice over the miles; he also warns her about friends and family members about whom he has questionable opinions. After Chancellorsville, his unit marches to Gettysburg, where the letters will suddenly end; Paddington was killed there on the first day of the battle. In one of his last letters he derides the activities of the Copperheads: "they seem bound for peace if it sacrifices the Union. It seems poor encouragement for us." (This has a haunting 2006 ring to it.) I found Pardington's patriotism admirable, though probably it was typical. The letters, which are unpolished and simple, are nevertheless heartfelt and compelling. Although not filled with the kind of information the historian might be interested in, they add a very human touch to a cause and conflict Pardington fought bravely for, and for which he finally gave his life.

Out of the Past: ACW Soldier Speaks to Us from His Heart.......2002-06-17

There are several published books of letters and diaries written by American Civil War (ACW) soldiers --from both sides of the conflict.

Enriching our understanding of the human heart in impossible circumstances is "Dear Sarah: Letters Home from a Soldier of the Iron Brigade," edited with loving care by the soldier's descendant Coralou Peel Lassen.

In my opinion it goes without saying that this recent contribution is refreshing, of great value to not only the modern reader but to posterity, too, to those who want to know more about the men --and women; the real human beings, who lived through and endured the American Civil War. This volume also illuminates the nature of not only the American Civil War but all war.

The Iron Brigade Soldier who wrote to Sarah was a young Union soldier named John Henry Pardington. The intense personal nature of his letters, what he writes about and how, is more than touching. The letters left by John Pardington offer a glimpse into the mind and soul of a man in the midst of a terrible situation and how he copes with it, how it defines him, shapes him, and how he continues to triumph over adversity.

After reading several pages I already felt like I was becoming familiar with the people "back home" that this soldier wrote about 140 years ago. I began to feel the pain of his separation from his wife and daughter, the pain of every aching joint and privation he endured. The more I opened up to John Pardington and the realities of his life at war, the more psychologically invested I became --and the more I read. Knowing the inevitable outcome made some letters particularly poignant. And painful. Often, I found the book emotionally overwhelming and put it down, reflecting. Sometimes I re-read passages with a fresh insight --from John's point of view. It isn't too much to say the book is, at turns and by its nature, not only a body blow but also eye-opening. Reading firsthand accounts of how soldiers of the Iron Brigade's 24th Michigan Infantry lived and died day by day in 1862-63 can leave one feeling "beat" inside, symptomatic of the tremendous impact the reality of John Pardington's life.

I think Ms. Lassen has really done an excellent job editing John's letters. One would think any student of history (or humanity) would want to read this book because John's words are universal. He was a Union soldier of the American Civil War, but his triumphs and failures, needs and wants, yearnings and hopes, etc., are an insight into the psyche of men away at war of all times. Her triumph is bringing John's words to the modern reader and to posterity. If one wanted to know how a soldier might be feeling or what he/she might be thinking, from Marathon to the Persian Gulf, one can find the essence of the human spirit, a soldier's dilemma, distilled and evolving in the letters of John Pardington.

John Pardington's human face on a large historical event; his evident love and longing; his deeply human and often tender observations made me again wonder why there must be conflict, wars that kill far too many John Pardingtons and leave the world a poorer place. Is there such a thing as a tragic triumph? If so, John Pardington's triumph in expressing himself, in his very being, is all the more tragic because of his death at Gettysburg. He probably never imagined his words would one-day reach out across the years to so many people. He would probably be surprised. Rather than flustered or embarrassed to have his innermost thoughts laid bare, I like to think he would ultimately see how his own life matters today, and always.

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An invaulable, informative contribution to Civil War studies.......2000-07-04

Quest For A Star is a collection of the Civil War letters and diary entries of Colonel Francis T. Sherman of the 88th Illinois, ably edited and with commentary by Knight Aldrich, Sherman's great-grandson. Thanks to his father's political influence, Sherman won an officers commission and commanded a brigade for much of his early service. He saw action at Perryville, Stones River, Missionary Ridge, and other battlefields. He was captured near Atlanta and endured three months in a Confederate prison before being released in a prisoner exchange. During the last months of the war, he served with General Philip Sheridan in the Appomattox campaign. His letters to his father and his diary entries reveal vivid descriptions of wartime experiences, insights into the volatile politics of the times, criticism of the incompetence of superior officers (especially General Don Carlos Buell), and more. Aldrich's commentaries give Sherman's observations an historical perspective, and draws upon his years as a professor of psychiatry and family medicine to offer fascinating speculation about inner conflicts that may have served to fuel Sherman's ambitions and political beliefs. Quest For A Star is an invaluable and much appreciated contribution to the growing body of Civil War era biographical literature.

The Civil War Letters of Joseph K. Taylor of the Thirty-Seventh Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Studies in American History)

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The Civil War Letters of Joseph K. Taylor of the Thirty-Seventh Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Studies in American History)
Joseph K. Taylor
Manufacturer: Edwin Mellen Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0773484493

Sacrifice at Vicksburg: Letters from the Front

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Terrific for my needs!

Sacrifice at Vicksburg: Letters from the Front

Manufacturer: White Mane Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1572490470

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Terrific for my needs!.......1998-05-14

I was researching my great grandfather and his brotherswho were in the Vicksburg campaign in a Wisconsin regiment. This book of letters is from the same regiment/different company. Tells the story of the soldier's day-to-day life. Probably interesting only to those with ana interest in the War orWisconsin, but great fun for those folks.

Army life of an Illinois soldier,: Including a day by day record of Sherman's march to the sea; letters and diary of the late Charles W. Wills, private ... lieutenant colonel 103rd Illinois Infantry

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Army life of an Illinois soldier,: Including a day by day record of Sherman's march to the sea; letters and diary of the late Charles W. Wills, private ... lieutenant colonel 103rd Illinois Infantry
Charles Wright Wills
Manufacturer: Globe Printing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Book Description

A spellbinding biography of one of the most powerful and dignified men ever to come to DC— Senator Mike Mansfield.

Mike Mansfield's career as the longest serving majority leader is finally given its due in this extraordinary biography. In many respects, Mansfield's dignity and decorum represent the high-water mark of the US Senate: he was respected as a leader who helped build consensus on tough issues and was renowned for his ability to work across the aisle and build strong coalitions. Amazingly, he would have breakfast every morning with a member of the opposing party.

Mansfield was instrumental in pushing through some of the most influential legislation of the twentieth century. He was at the helm when the Senate passed landmark legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the creation of Medicare, and the nuclear test ban treaty. Mansfield played a crucial role in shaping America's foreign policy, corresponding with JFK about his opposition to the growing presence of the U.S. in Southeast Asia. And as ambassador to Japan, his conversations with Cambodia and China paved the way for Nixon's historic trip to China in 1972. Includes b/w photographs.

Customer Reviews:

Firm and Brilliant.......2006-01-12

Michael Joseph (Mike) Mansfield's approach to Congress could instruct many of the politicians in power today. Unlike his bombastic, controlling predecessor, Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson, Mansfield, as Senate Majority Leader, retreated from the glare of publicity so that his fellow senators, from both parties, could take pride in successful legislation that they initiated, all the while guiding that body with a steady hand.

Because of the statesman's honesty, his intellectual capacity, his ability to connect immediately with people, no matter their views, and his brilliance as a public servant, his home state Montana kept him in Congress from the year they first elected him in 1942 to 1977, when he retired from the Senate. They loved him because he put their interests first, regardless of what was occurring on the world's stage.

When Mansfield retired from the Senate, he expected to "loaf, read, and think," but the government couldn't let go and sent him to Japan where he served as Ambassador, a position from which he retired in his mid-eighties. After that, Goldman Sachs hired him to be its East Asian Advisor.

Above all else, human relationships ranked highest in importance for Mansfield. When his wife died, he said during her eulogy that without her he would have been nothing. Early in their marriage she urged him to leave his work as miner and mining engineer to pursue and complete his education.

I recommend Don Oberdorfer's "Senator Mansfield" to readers interested in a look into the bowels of politics, particularly during the Vietnam War era and its aftermath. I felt as if I were hiding under a desk eavesdropping. Reading parts of the tapes that Nixon made of himself, I couldn't decide whether to laugh or weep.

The Senate's Last True Gentleman............2003-12-16

I had known of Senator Mansfield, but this biography was essentially my first real glimpse of the man. It was a genuine treat to come to know him, even in this limited way, and the author has given us one of the best biographies in many years. Yes, this is a tribute and it is clear that the author has great respect for his subject (as he should), but he does not ignore the complexities of Mansfield's career in the public arena. Admittedly there is little about Mansfield's private life (outside of the early, pre-government years), but I found that refreshing as what we need to know about Mansfield is what he contributed to the country and what we can learn from his long career. Nevertheless, we do get a sense of Mansfield's intellect, his charm, and his appeal across ideological divides. His greatness is never exaggerated and after finishing the book, one gets a sense of sadness as we consider what could have been if only he had been listened to regarding Vietnam.

A Lesson From Recent American History.......2003-11-26

Don Oberdorfer's biography of Mike Mansfield brings an extraordinary American to life. Not only does the reader gain deep insights into Congressman then, Senator and, later, Ambassador Mansfield; but also Private Mansfield of the U.S. Marine Corps; and copper miner Mansfield of Butte, Montana; high school and college student Mansfield which he completed simultaneously, and professor Mansfield of the University of Montana in the 1930s and 40s.

Besides a wonderful and inspiring portrait of a truly unique American, the book portrays the relationships Mansfield developed with American Presidents beginning with FDR through Ronald Reagan. The entire middle third of the book focuses on the Vietnam era and Mansfield's heroic, behind the scene, effort as the Senate's Asia expert and Majority Leader to persuade Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Ford to, first, avoid committing American troops to a mainland war in Asia and, second, to withdraw troops once they were tragically in place in Vietnam.

Mansfield's analysis showed the Vietnam problem to be 9 parts diplomatic/political and one part military. Therefore, he argued American policy in Vietnam could not be resolved using a 9 part military solution to only 1 part diplomatic/political. Essentially, Mansfield believed a military response is rarely indicated and far too often, riding coattails of false intelligence and phony patriotism, militarism acquires a fatal and unstoppable momentum of its own. In retrospect it turns out that the "attacks" by North Vietnamese torpedo boats against the U.S. Navy in the Gulf of Tonkin in 1965 that were used by President Johnson as a pretext to go to war were a monumental and, likely, willful intelligence failure. Almost 40 years later, on a much larger scale, American intelligence now seems to have failed to provide an accurate analysis of Iraq's WMD. It is clear American Presidents still base their decision to take the country to war on often misleading or patently false information.

This book provides an apt but sober warning for policy makers working on contemporary Middle East who are designing President George Bush's war on terrorism. This is a great read about a unique American who lived through a compelling time in American history and whose values in public life are sorely missed in today's divisive and disfunctional political climate.

Superb Biography of a 20th Century Marvel!.......2003-10-17

For young soldiers returning from the war in Vietnam, Senator Mike Mansfield was a literal legend in his own time, the consistent voice for greater moderation, caution, and reason during the escalation of the war in Vietnam. As chronicled so marvelously in this new biography by noted historian Don Oberdorfer, from the very beginning of the sordid Vietnam affair Mansfield had cautioned long-time colleagues as friends John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson as to the absolute futility and danger associated with pursuing a military victory in Southeast Asia. A long-time member of the Foreign Relations committee in the Senate, he was well aware of the complexities and national aspirations simmering under the surface of the region, and recognized the morass we might soon find ourselves in if we succumbed to the siren song of the so-called `domino' theorists, who posited the loss of South Vietnam would lead inextricably to the loss of Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. Mansfield maintained the domino we needed to worry about was Vietnam itself, which might well topple our whole far-eastern strategy if we allowed ourselves to become entwined in its silken grips.

Alas, no one among the `best and the brightest' of either the Kennedy or Johnson administration listened, and instead dragged us into more than a decade of death, destruction, and depravity. Yet in this fascinating biography, we learn that Mike Mansfield had many more facets to his marvelous personality and many more intellectual insights to offer the American people during his long and illustrious career as a public servant. He presided over the U.S. Senate during the difficult and angst-filled deliberations over the Civil Rights Act passed in 1964, its companion bill for Voter Rights Act passed the following year, and the donnybrook that ensured over the initial passing of Medicare legislation. A man of almost encyclopedic knowledge, he spoke carefully and constructively, and listened as intently as he had spoken. Like his predecessor as Senate majority leader, LBJ, he was a master of personal one-on- one persuasion, and his soaring intellect and engaging personality made him scores of friends and precious few enemies in his many travels and engagements. He was, however, much like Harry Truman in terms of being both a straight-talker and a straight shooter, and he was known to be a man of incredible principle and integrity.

His only regret in later serving as Ambassador to Japan was that it took him so far a field from his beloved Montana, a place he could sometimes become almost doggedly appreciative of. He was a hunter, an outdoorsman, and an early champion of what was then called conservation and is now better understood as environmentalism. His was a life that spanned a myriad of different concerns, causes, and conflicts, and although we will always remember him best for his earnest, informed, and heartfelt opposition to the war in Vietnam, Mike Mansfield was certainly a public man for all seasons. This is a wonderful book about a noteworthy American who until now has been seriously under-appreciated. Enjoy!

The Most Important Man of the American 20th Century.......2003-09-29

This book is mandatory reading for anyone seeking, or currently in, public office. Oberdorfer's analysis of Mansfield's writing, thinking, and speaking style is first rate. For serious students of American politics, Oberdorfer has given them a look at the making of one of the most important men of the century. I know it must have been difficult because Mansfield steadfastly refused to allow anyone to be his biographer. Mansfield believed that biographies should be written only after a person had been dead for 75 to 100 years. Therefore I was extremely happy to see that Don Oberdorfer had accomplished what many Mansfield devotees couldn't...capture the essence of one of the most important men (and his absolutely incredible wife Maureen) of the 20th Century. The 510 pages devoted to Mansfield are only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. His influence on members of the Senate, his understanding of world affairs, his unshakable and sometimes frustratingly rigid belief in Montana, and his ability to say so much in as few words as possible, could fill a dozen more volumes.
I wanted to be Mansfield's biographer. I was his foil regarding the complex and vexing problems surrounding US-Japanese defense policy from 1985-1988. During his trips into the Pacific Command, we had long conversations about Asia, American politics (especially LBJ and the course of the Vietnam war), the teaching of history, and getting inside the mind of the Japanese. Ambassador Mansfield, who rarely carried on long conversations, spoke in 50-minute segments and one only got three minutes to answer the questions he would pose afterwards. To engage in a conversation with Mansfield was a dangerous thing if one was un- or ill-prepared. Those segments, which came from his encyclopedic and near perfect recall memory, would tie everything in his life starting as a 14 year old seaman to an up-to-the-minute analysis of the world in general and Asia in the specific. Two days with Mansfield could qualify anyone to CLEP an examination in world history! I would rate him as the finest professors of history in the United States.
Mansfield once told me that the preparation time to smoke a pipe was the equivalent of preparing for a conversation. Slowly and deliberately, he would think about what he wanted to say, say it, then command from the listener that three minute reply. I never heard him ever raise his voice. I never saw him ever become rude or angry. When he felt it was time to leave a dinner or conference, he left, regardless of who was in the room. His coffee making always put people off guard, immediately humbling them and defusing their anger.
Whenever he came to Hawaii for medical checkups, or conferences, he had a shopping list to buy small yet significant things for the lowest ranking members of his embassy staff. For the secretary pool, See's chocolate candy...for his US Marine Embassy guards, the newest rank insignia for their next promotion...for his Japanese staff members, Hawaiian macadamia nuts. For himself, he always bought Prince Albert pipe tobacco; two large cans worth so he could "mediate and reflect" on what was best for the United States of America.
Read this book, for it is the true and good and troubled history of the 20th century of the United States. Mike Mansfield personified all that is good and decent about politics. Mike Mansfield knew how and when to act when troubles arose. Mike Mansfield knew how to love his nation. Fortunately Oberdorfer was in the right place, as the right time, posing as the right agent, to capture Senator Mansfield as no one else ever will.

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