Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War

Emma and James Reid became lovers after the Battle of Fredericksburg. Jerome, on being released from parole, noted the closeness of Emma and Reid. Emma grew more distant from Jerome again, spending more time with Reid. More rumors of female soldiers being discovered swirled through camp, and Emma feared increased scrutiny.

Lincoln replaced Burnside with General Joseph Hooker after Fredericksburg. In March of 1863, he sent Emma’s regiment to join in Ulysses S. Grant’s campaign to take Vicksburg. Emma was given orders to infiltrate enemy lines in Danville, Kentucky. She posed as a civilian collecting eggs and stumbled into a wedding party. The groom was a Confederate captain who was raising a company. He quickly conscripted Emma, and she was almost immediately pulled into a skirmish against Union soldiers. Instead of fighting, she shot the Captain in the face.

The Confederacy was struggling as food and supplies grew scarce. Riots broke out with the chant of “Bread or Blood.” Rioters stole everything they could. Jefferson Davis urged them to stop, tossing a wad of cash into the crowd. The people dove for it, and he demanded they leave in five minutes or else the guard would shoot them. By nightfall, the city had convinced itself that a Union spy started it.