Introduction

As I sit in my comfy house, watching the palm fronds swaying in the ocean breeze, it occurs to me how much I owe to the women who lived through the Civil War era. Would I be sitting here today, if they had not had the courage to step out of their normal sphere? They farmed, ran households, raised children, and nursed the wounded. These were some of the most important steps taken by women toward the freedoms and prosperity we enjoy today.

I am a frustrated Civil War novelist, who has learned the hard cold facts about the publishing industry in this country today. If your name isn't already well known, chances are you won't be published. And, if you don't have lots of money to promote your book, chances are no one will ever read it. So, I decided to use all the research I've been doing over the past decade to inform others about these wonderful brave women, who lived through some of the darkest days in American history.

Over the next few weeks, maybe months, I will post short bios and stories about those women, many whose names you will not recognize. We can, I believe, find hope and inspiration from their lives and how they lived them.

See you soon