Her Service - the Civil War

Her Service - the Civil War, digs into the lives of two extraordinary Civil War figures: Dr. Mary Edwards Walker and Sarah Emma Edmonds. Dr. Walker, the U.S. Army's first female surgeon, bravely challenged societal norms by insisting on wearing practical "bloomers" instead of skirts, enduring ostracization and even a four-month imprisonment as a spy at Castle Thunder for crossing battle lines to treat all wounded. Meanwhile, Sarah Emma Edmonds, escaping an abusive home, adopted the male identity of Franklin Thompson to enlist, serving as a soldier, nurse, and even a spy, with her true gender remaining a secret to her comrades until she contracted malaria and resumed her female identity as a nurse. The episode highlights how both women defied the restrictive expectations of Victorian-era femininity, with Edmonds ultimately receiving a military pension and full honors after an eight-year battle, and Dr. Walker becoming the only woman in U.S. history to be awarded the Medal of Honor for her self-sacrificing service. We also look at the contributions to the war efforts of two madams and a runaway bride/spy all on this episode of Her Service - the Civil War.