It is not often that readers find new stories from the Civil War. Sure, one comes across a person they may not have heard of, but a totally brand new story is a rarity. Lauren Cook Burgess gave her readers the gift of a new story in An Uncommon Soldier.
As a re-enactor, Burgess would be familiar with the nuances of life in the Civil War era. This would include knowing that many women served as soldiers during the conflict. In fact, Burgess participated in many re-enactments as a woman. If she had not run into issues with the National Park Service and her subsequent court case, Burgess may never had heard of Sarah Rosetta (Lyons/Edwin R.) Wakeman. Thanks to a timely letter from Wakeman’s great-great-niece, Burgess was granted access to one of (and possibly the only) the most complete collections of letters and memorabilia from a female Union soldier. After leaving home for a brief stint on a coal barge, Rosetta Wakeman enlisted in the 153rd New York State Volunteer Infantry in 1862 and became Pvt. Lyons Wakeman.
Burgess’ careful editing of Wakeman’s letters offered readers an easy to read glimpse into the everyday life of the typical soldier. She wrote about drill and guard duties, troop movements, and the different locations where she was stationed. Wakeman wrote of her concerns about her relationships with family members and asked for news on those from her hometown who had also been drafted. One of her most consistent topics showed her concern for the financial status of her family. She often sent money home to help with the family debts and for individual family members to purchase things to remember her by. However, throughout the letters the reader can glean how Wakeman became accustomed to her independence. Had she survived the war, it would be easy to speculate that she would have continued to live independently, perhaps keeping up the masculine charade and permanently becoming either Lyons or Edwin R. Wakeman.
Interestingly, Wakeman never seemed to fear discovery through her letters as she signed most of them with her given name. It was not until her unit was well into Confederate territory in Louisiana that she began signing letters with a male alias. In modern times one often expects that letters home from members of the military are opened and read in case any sensitive information is included. In the nineteenth century, soldiers were apparently afforded more privacy in their communications.
An Uncommon Soldier benefits both scholars of Civil War and women’s history. It adds yet another facet to the intricately woven stories of everyday soldiers during the war and shows that the soldier experience is universal regardless of gender. The book documents how women contributed to the war effort by doing more than nursing the sick, the typical nineteenth century image of women during the Civil War. Burgess’ research and documentation of other women soldiers adds to the understanding of Wakeman’s experience. In addition, the background she provided on the circumstances surrounding Wakeman’s narrative of her time in the 153rd places the letters in their historical context.
This book would be an excellent addition to any undergraduate or graduate course on the Civil War. It was easy to read and digest and provided the reader a look back in time to life as a soldier during the Civil War.
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