Lauren Schwantner Emmas Letter

Dear War Department,

Hello, My name is Emma Edmonds. I have a husband and three sons. We all live together in Fort Scott, Kansas. I have disguised myself as a male so i could participate in the Civil War. The reason I disguised myself was so I can show that women should have just as much rights as the men. What makes the men more different from the women except the gender difference? I do not believe men are stronger than women. This is why I do not like how society stereotypically says men shall have more rights because they are stronger than women. If men were much stronger than women I would not have been able to contribute so much to the war. I feel the war would have been different if I was not apart of it. Im sure many women would have the same thing to say as me as well as some men. I do not think its fair that I have been giving a dishonorable charge. That is why i am writing this letter today. I am writing this to set my rights straight. I want all women to have just as much right as men because nothing sets the two genders apart is society and that is not right.

I do understand that my actions were unnecessary, but so is the charge you put on me. Many would like to disagree to that my actions were not necessary because I am trying to stand up not only for myself but for all the women that would like to have a say and would like to have their own types of rights in the world. Women should have the right to work as hard as they want, do what they want in life. I contributed much to the soldiers in the army. At one point in my life I worked between two different hospitals. One hospital contained much union men while the other contained soldiers. I put my all into making sure i could help the sick and the wounded to the best of my ability. I do not feel i should be punished for trying to help others and trying to make a difference in the world.

        Due to all my different disguises I was able to cross many rebel lines. I was able to dress as a women and work at confederate camp. From this experience I received and found many confidential information that only a select few people knew about. I feel that if women had the rights we would be able to make a change in the war in a positive way.

        I know I should have told people when I was leaving and should not have disguised myself but if I did this in any other way nobody would have let me join the war, and I would have not been able to make the difference that I made. I was extremely dedicated through this whole war and did not give up even as a women. This is why I think you should reconsider your decision about punishing me for my actions and hope you can see this situation from my perspective. I truly do not deserve this.

From,

Emma Edmonds