Category Archives: Women

December 4, 1862: Watching out for transvestites in Virginia

Cross-dressing could land you in jail in the old South, as we’ve seen before. This time it’s a false alarm — they sent a detective to check out someone who just turned out to be a man who seemed effeminate. … Continue reading

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November 23, 1862: Female smugglers in the west

The New York Times published a letter from before the fall of Holly Springs, detailing the capture of a group of women who were smuggling military materials from Memphis southward. They also appear to have been carrying letters conveying military … Continue reading

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August 26, 1862: Mary Todd Lincoln’s woes

The Richmond Daily Dispatch reprints this item from the Atlanta Intelligencer. Despite their protestations, it seems a bit like a taunt to me. In any case, Mary Todd Lincoln did lose two brothers who fought for the south in the … Continue reading

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July 18, 1862: The War on Women

Turns out that this election year isn’t the first time that Republicans have been accused of conducting a “war on women”. Although I have to say that some of the language used by certain popular commentators would have shocked Ben … Continue reading

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