The Civil War was a tempestuous time in American history. The recently liberated nation divided and fought “brother against brother,” as the slogan goes. But we know now that some of these brothers were actually sisters—brave, incensed, loyal women who disguised themselves as men in order to fight. Hundreds of women fought in this way, and Elizabeth Finnern was just one of them. She followed her husband into a war and remained undiscovered for 90 days, after which she worked as a battlefield nurse for several years until her husband was discharged.
Elizabeth and her husband died long after the war, within a few years of each other. They were buried together beneath a stone that acknowledged not only his contributions to the regiment, but hers as well.
This search has many more clippings related to Elizabeth Finnern and her involvement in the Civil War and after. There are many more stories like hers to be found in the pages of Newspapers.com—try a search for more of them here.