One of the “Great Debates” of the early 21st Century was the question of whether the American military should allow women in combat. Historically, it was a moot point since American women have fought in combat in every conflict since the American Revolution, however they had to disguise their gender to do so. Camp followers in the American Revolution and Civil War provided basic, logistical support, working as laundresses, seamstresses and cooks, while other women remained at home tending the farms and caring for children, but some courageous women served in combat either alongside their husbands or disguised as men, while history clearly records that many women assumed other, unconventional roles such as doctors, nurses and spies. Though not serving in uniform, women shared soldiers' hardships, including inadequate housing and risk of injury and death and they did it with little, and at times, no compensation. At the start of our nation’s history, societal norms did not allow for women to serve in the military, and although they did participate and contribute to the war effort, their participation was as civilians and non-combatants. This would not change until the early 20th Century. This book is a prequel to an earlier work, Women at War - Iraq, Afghanistan, and other Conflicts which documented women's contributions to the US Military from WW II to the current conflicts. This work covers women's contributions from the American Revolution through WW I, highlighting their service in a number of non-traditional roles, not only as nurses but as soldiers and spies in combat. These stories reveal the patriotism and selflessness of women who, for a variety of reasons, answered their nation's call to arms, and recognizes their incredible, and often unheralded service to their country in time of war.