Today, JJ’s Star Spangled Salute honor Civil War – Union Army Veteran Sarah Rosetta Wakeman. In 1862 Sarah Rosetta Wakeman moved to Chicago, posed as a man to work as a boatman. She later joined the Union Army, claiming she was 21 years old and a man. Her first few years were spent stationed in the Virginia and Washington, D.C. area until she saw her first battle during the Red River Campaign in Louisiana. After, she became ill with dysentery and later died of her illness. Thank you Sarah for you bravery and THANK YOU for your service.
For further reading about Wakeman’s life, check out the American Battlefield Trust’s story on her life.
