They Fought like Demons is a historical non-fiction book written by both DeAnne Blanton and Lauren M. Cook. This book, published in 2003, covers all the known women to serve in the civil war under male guises. All of these women not only used aliases, but also dressed as men in order to blend into the ranks of both the Union and Confederate armies. As noted by Blanton and Cook, most people only know of the women who were nurses, spies, or housewives maintaining their homes. Blanton and Cook did over ten years of research with multiple documents and databases in order to write this book. Although there are some accounts of female soldiers most of them are sparse and barely document all the women who took part. This detailed book is so named
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There are at least 250 documented female soldiers who served in the Civil War but many more are suspected. Each one had their own reasons for enlisting. Whether it be to join other family members, escape a less than ideal life, or patriotism, these women made the choice to join the army despite the dangers. Some women even joined for revenge. One of these women was Charlotte Hope aka Charlie Hopper of the 1st Virginia Calvary. Charlotte joined because her fiancé, a lieutenant, was killed in a raid. Charlotte made it her mission to kill twenty-one union soldiers. Twenty-one because her fiancé was twenty-one years old when he was killed. Charlotte is one of many women discussed in They Fought like Demons. Two women that have been discussed in this book, are also talked about in other literature. Those two soldiers are Sarah Edmonds, alias Private Franklin Thompson and Loreta Janeta Velazquez, alias Lieutenant Harry T. Buford. Sarah served with the 2nd Michigan Infantry while Loreta served with the Confederacy. Both of these women are two of the more well-known female soldiers. They are mentioned often in They Fought like Demons because they show both sides of the Civil War. Blanton and Cook make an effort to discuss women of all backgrounds. Most
There are at least 250 documented female soldiers who served in the Civil War but many more are suspected. Each one had their own reasons for enlisting. Whether it be to join other family members, escape a less than ideal life, or patriotism, these women made the choice to join the army despite the dangers. Some women even joined for revenge. One of these women was Charlotte Hope aka Charlie Hopper of the 1st Virginia Calvary. Charlotte joined because her fiancé, a lieutenant, was killed in a raid. Charlotte made it her mission to kill twenty-one union soldiers. Twenty-one because her fiancé was twenty-one years old when he was killed. Charlotte is one of many women discussed in They Fought like Demons. Two women that have been discussed in this book, are also talked about in other literature. Those two soldiers are Sarah Edmonds, alias Private Franklin Thompson and Loreta Janeta Velazquez, alias Lieutenant Harry T. Buford. Sarah served with the 2nd Michigan Infantry while Loreta served with the Confederacy. Both of these women are two of the more well-known female soldiers. They are mentioned often in They Fought like Demons because they show both sides of the Civil War. Blanton and Cook make an effort to discuss women of all backgrounds. Most