Daughter of the Regiment
Maggie Malone is left behind as her two brothers join the Missouri Irish Brigade, of the Union Army, as the Civil War begins. When Maggie’s home and livestock are vandalized by local Southern sympathizers, she sets off to town and discovers that one of her brothers is on a list of wounded soldiers. With nothing left, she follows their regiment, assisting them where needed. Her efforts are noticed by Sergeant John Coulter, whose admiration for her courage, healing skills, and gentleness are appreciated following a skirmish at a nearby plantation occupied by the enemy. Libbie Blair resides at the plantation with her abusive brother, who hopes to ingratiate himself with the Confederate officers by moving contraband arms through his docks. The two women reunite and find that, although they had little in common in the past, they will share a future.
Historically a “daughter of the regiment”—or as the French referred to them, a vivandière—was an honor that very few women achieved during the American Civil War. Women were not generally permitted in camp. I liked how Maggie came to the aid of her brothers then stayed on a bit. She quietly attended to the other men, wrote letters home for them, bandaged wounds, and thus proved her worth without ever asking to follow the unit. It is refreshing to have the strength of her character develop naturally for the reader where other authors would have portrayed her as a pushy woman. I liked that the author built up the story of friendships, romance and bravery in a historic and authentic setting, waiting until the very end of the book for those in charge to declare her a true daughter of the regiment.
