This all-girl cavalry company began as a lark during the American Civil War, but soon attracted the attention of unamused Union officers.
The Rhea County Spartans, an all-girl cavalry company, began as a lark during the American Civil War, but soon attracted the attention of unamused Union officers. The Rhea County Girls? Company was created in the summer of 1862 through a combination of boredom and the desire to be a part of the war for Southern independence. Almost all of the ‘sidesaddle soldiers’ had fathers or brothers in the Confederate military, and the young ladies evidently felt frustrated because their gender prevented them from enlisting. Since they could not actually join the Confederate Army, they did the next best thing: They created an army of their own.
