Laura J. Williams
Encyclopedia
Laura J. Williams was a woman who disguised herself as a man and used the alias Lt. Henry Benford in order to raise and lead a company of Confederate
Texans
during the American Civil War
. She and the company participated in Battle of Shiloh
.
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
Texans
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. She and the company participated in Battle of Shiloh
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
.
See also
- Sarah Taylor (soldier)Sarah Taylor (soldier)Sarah Taylor , born Nicole Wilson, fought in the American Civil War as a soldier at the age of 18. She earned the nickname "The Tennessee Joan of Arc".-See also:*Crossdressing during wartime...
- Malinda BlalockMalinda BlalockSarah Malinda Pritchard Blalock was a female soldier during the American Civil War. Despite originally being a sympathizer for the right of secession, she fought bravely on both sides. During the last years of the war, she was a pitiless pro-Union marauder, tormenting the Appalachia region...
- Albert CashierAlbert CashierAlbert D. J. Cashier , born Jennie Irene Hodgers, was an Irish-born soldier in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Cashier was born female assigned at birth, but lived as a man.-Early life:...
- Sarah Emma Edmunds
- Loreta Janeta VelazquezLoreta Janeta VelazquezLoreta Janeta Velazquez , was a Cuban-born woman who masqueraded as a male Confederate soldier during the Civil War. She enlisted in the Confederate Army in 1861, without her soldier-husband's knowledge. She fought at Bull Run, Ball's Bluff and Fort Donelson, but her gender was discovered while in...
- Mary Edwards WalkerMary Edwards WalkerMary Edwards Walker was an American feminist, abolitionist, prohibitionist, alleged spy, prisoner of war and surgeon. She is the only woman ever to receive the Medal of Honor....
- Mollie BeanMollie BeanMollie Bean was a North Carolina woman who, pretending to be a man, joined the 47th North Carolina, a unit of the Confederate army in the American Civil War....