I’ve subscribed to Footnote.com, which I’ve found to be a great resource even though it’s not cheap (tip: keep checking for sale rate). There is a wealth of Civil War primary documentation there, with more being added daily, including most of the Confederate service records. Accessing these online sure beats having to travel to Washington or Atlanta and scroll through rolls of microfilm. There are also newspapers and numerous other primary source materials, much of it indexed. It’s far from perfect—the search engine is quirky and hard to master and the server is sometimes very slow, but even so it’s the best deal yet for accessing records. Footnote.com is a private company that has partnered with the National Archives, and the eventual goal is to have everything there available on the web.
They are featuring an interesting page on women in the Civil War, including a spy in Jeff Davis’s household and women soldiers like Albert Cashier/Jennie Rogers (above), who is also thought to be the first woman to vote (as a man, of course.)
UPDATE: Meant to post this bio. Female Soldier in Disguise!
Jennie Irene Hodgers- Found in the Civil War Pension Index
Jennie Irene Hodgers wanted to serve the Union during the Civil War. Instead of caring for the injured or making clothes, Jennie disguised herself as Albert Cashier and enrolled in the Union Army. She fought in over 40 battles and skirmishes; her true identity was never discovered by her male comrades. After the war, she continued to live in disguise until she broke her leg later in life and her gender discovered. Jennie is credited as being the first woman to vote, as she voted in disguise as a man. She was also honored for her service at the Battle of Vicksburg.
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