Rebel: Loreta Velazquez—Secret Soldier of the American Civil War

Born in 19th-century Cuba, Loreta Velazquez was always a rebel. Her father sent her to New Orleans in hopes that she would marry well and learn to be a lady; instead, she wed an American of no social station. Sadly, all of her children died of disease, and her husband was killed while training Confederate troops shortly after the outbreak of the Civil War. Written and directed by María Agui Carter, this PBS-aired documentary describes the strange journey of Velazquez, who became perhaps one of a thousand women to fight in the Civil War disguised as a man. Assuming the name "Harry T. Buford," Velazquez lived—like other troops—mostly outdoors, rarely undressing, her figure concealed by baggy uniforms. Loreta bought a slave named Bob, who perhaps knew her secret, but he escaped when he had the opportunity. According to Loreta, she fought in the first battle at Bull Run, and later at Shiloh, even suffering a gunshot wound. Eventually, her identity was discovered, raising the danger that she could be accused of being a spy; instead, the Confederates used Loreta to relay money and information across enemy lines. Like much of her life, the truth about Velazquez remains elusive. Historians here describe what is known, although much of it is drawn from her 1876 postwar memoir The Woman in Battle. Velazquez married several times, fought for Cuban independence, died in 1902, and is buried in an unmarked grave. Whatever the ultimate truth, this Hispanic woman clearly lived life on her own terms. An engaging biography of an overlooked Civil War figure, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)