I’m pleased to welcome Jessica James to my blog today and she has a fabulous giveaway, but hurry! The winner will be picked tomorrow, December 15, 2009! Leave your name and email here to be entered (US shipping only)! For more details visit www.jessicajamesbooks.com!

When I started writing my historical fiction novel Shades of Gray, I had some reservations about the plot involving the heroine dressing as a man and serving as a Union scout and spy. What I discovered after doing some research however, is that the premise is not the least far-fetched. In fact, records exist for as many as 400 women who dressed like their male counterparts and served on the front lines of battle. Many were promoted to officers – actually at a higher rate than men – demonstrating their effectiveness in this unusual role.

Perhaps the most unbelievable component of their service is that most women were only discovered after being wounded, falling ill, or being killed outright on the battlefield. According to the book They Fought Like Demons by Deanne Blanton and Lauren Cook, wounded female soldiers were discovered after the battles of Shilo, Richmond, Perryville, Murfreesboro, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Green River, Lookout Mountain, Peachtree Creek, and the Wilderness, among others. Burial parties discovered the remains of women after First Manassas, Second Manassas, Shiloh, Gettysburg, Resaca, and the Crater, as well as along the lines at Petersburg and Appomattox.

Interestingly enough, there was another way women were discovered among the ranks. At least six soldiers are known to have performed their military duties while pregnant, and two Confederate prisoners of war gave birth while incarcerated. In fact, here is the text of an actual telegraph message from a very angry Union General William Rosecrans concerning the news of a birth by an officer in his ranks: The Medical Director reports that an Orderlie Sergeant in Brig. Gen Johnson’s Division was to day delivered of a baby – which is in violation of all military law and of the army regulations. You will apply a proper punishment in the case and a remedy to prevent repetition of the act.

(Rosecrans was wrong. There was no written rule against a soldier having a baby).

Considering the secret nature of the women, there were almost certainly more of them who served without discovery. Even after the war, a corpse disinterred in Resaca, Ga., elicited excitement because of the smallness of the feet. Upon further examination, it was discovered the remains were of a female shot through the head. There is no record of her, thus her true identity will never be known.

Just like men, women also died of typhoid, measles, malaria, pneumonia, dysentery and smallpox. How many were interred without any physical examination is anyone’s guess.

Of course, some women were discovered during the course of their duties without falling ill. One, a Pvt. Frank Deming was discharged for disability near Corinth, Mississippi. The certificate of disability noted that Private Deming was unfit for duty “no days” during the previous two months, but nevertheless cited the soldier as being “incapable of performing the duties of a soldier” because of “a congenital peculiarity – being a woman.”

Records indicate that women fought for many reasons. Some followed husbands or brothers; some served out of economic necessity; and some simply for the thrill of the fight. Women’s service in the Civil War is a story that is largely untold. Yet history proves that courage under fire is not an attribute of men alone.

Shades of Gray: A Novel of the Civil War in Virginia

By Jessica James

Author Bio:

Jessica James is the award-winning author of the historical fiction novel Shades of Gray, an epic Civil War love story that has twice overtaken Gone with the Wind on the Amazon Best-Seller list in the romance/historical/U.S. category. A former newspaper editor, she spent 18 years in a newsroom before turning her attention to fiction writing. She holds a master’s degree in communications and a bachelor’s degree in public relations/journalism.

This multi-award winning novel has been widely praised by historians for its balanced portrayal of the War Between the States, and by romance readers for its emotional description of the love that develops between the two main characters.

The novel chronicles the clash of a Confederate cavalry officer with a Union spy as they defend their beliefs, their country and their honor. The rolling hills of northern Virginia provide the backdrop for this page-turning tale of courage and devotion.

Shades of Gray Awards and Accolades:

2009 HOLT Medallion Finalist for Best Southern Theme

2008 Indie Next Generation Award for Best Regional Fiction

2008 Indie Next Generation Finalist for Best Historical Fiction

2008 IPPY Award for Best Regional Fiction

2008 ForeWord Magazine Finalist for Book of the Year in Romance category

2008 Favorite Book of the Year by The Book Connection

2008 Favorite Book of the Year by BookWorm’s Dinner

2008 Top Ten Favorite Book of the Year by The Printed Page

Contents of Civil War Romance Basket Giveaway

T-shirt: Loved I Not Honor More (M)

Candleholder with Primitive motif

Pack of 5 Shades of Gray/Justus Greeting Cards

CD: Homespun Songs of the C.S.A. by Bobby Horton

Romantic Rose Stationary

Pack of 5 Votive Candles: Pumpkin Bread (smells, oh so good!)

Southern Magnolia Handmade Virginia Soap

‘Virginia Grown’ Shopping Bag

Faux Roses

I just wanted to add that you can read my review of Shades of Gray here.