Desirable in any state, rare in the upgraded subscription half leather binding.
Loreta Janeta Velazquez (b.1842) was a fascinating figure. She is best remembered for disguising herself as a man — using the alias "Lieutenant Harry T. Buford" — to fight for the Confederacy during the American Civil War. She claimed to have participated in major battles including Bull Run, Ball's Bluff, and Fort Donelson, recruiting and commanding her own troops at times. Beyond combat, she also claimed to have worked as a Confederate spy and courier, navigating both Southern and Northern society with considerable skill.
The present autobiography was controversial from the moment it appeared — some contemporaries, including Confederate General Jubal Early, disputed her claims and tried to discredit her. Though it seems likely her wild tale is at true at least in some measure. Her story, whether fully factual or embellished, contributes to a broader tradition of women who disguised themselves as men to serve in military roles — a phenomenon more common than Victorian society cared to acknowledge.
A wild romp of a read.
[Madame Loreta Janeta Velazquez] Worthington, C. J. [Ed.]. The Woman in Battle: A Narrative of the Exploits, Adventures, and Travels of Madame Loreta Janeta Velazquez, Otherwise Known as Lieutenant Harry T. Buford, Confederate States Army. In which is Given Full Descriptions of the Numerous Battles in which she Participated as a Confederate Officer; of her Perilous Performances as a Spy, as a Bearer of Despatches, as a Secret-Service Agent, and as a Blockade Runner; . . . of her Residence among the Mormons . . . etc. Profusely Illustrated. Hartford. T. Belknap. 1876. 606pp.
A Good copy in the upgraded half leather first edition subscription binding. Rubbed as shown, toward the rear some tenderness with a few leaves detached and chipped at foredge. All present. Final signature a bit awkwardly bound.
