“The Belle of Washington Society”
By Melissa A. Winn As a woman of the 19th century, Kate Chase owed her privilege and stature to her father Salmon P. Chase’s political positions. However, she made her
Category: Women of War
“I Set Forth in the December Twilight”
By Melissa A. Winn Long before Little Women became a beloved classic, Louisa May Alcott emerged as a young woman of principle and passion, shaped by poverty, reformist ideals, and
“My Needle Became My Salvation”
By Melissa A. Winn Elizabeth Hobbs Keckly’s journey from slavery to prominence as Mary Todd Lincoln’s dressmaker is one of extraordinary resilience, skill, and determination. Ironically, when she published her
“Angel of the Battlefield”
By Melissa A. Winn Capturing the story of Clara Barton in brief is an impossible feat. While many men and women who participated in the Civil War have remarkable narratives,
The Rise of “La Belle Rebelle”
By Melissa A. Winn The morning of July 4, 1861, “dawned brightly,” according to the postwar memoir of Maria Isabella “Belle” Boyd. However, this anniversary of the country’s independence was
“I Wear My Own Clothes”
By Melissa A. Winn Dr. Mary Edwards Walker is the only woman who has ever received the Medal of Honor. With more than 3,500 awarded for acts of valor, it’s
“The Wisconsin Angel”
By Melissa A. Winn Few people did so much for so many Wisconsin Civil War soldiers as Cordelia Harvey. In her brief time as the state’s first lady, she played
“Daughter of the Regiment”
By Melissa A. Winn While 19th century social conventions constrained many American women to the homefront or hospitals during the Civil War, French immigrant Marie Tepe would not be obliged.