A Usable Past

My friend Kelly, another graduate student in gender history, sent me this article on women who fought in the Civil War as soldiers.

Disguised as a man (left), Frances Clayton served many months in Missouri artillery and cavalry units. (By courtesy of the Trustees of the Boston Public Library)

Though the army at the time denied the existence of women participating in the army as soldiers, new evidence suggests that these women did exist, and were known to army officials.

Discharge document for a soldier with “Sextual incompatibility.” (NARA, Records of the Adjutant General’s Office, 1780′s—1917, RG 94)

Learn more at the National Archives and Record Administration website, or find the article in NARA’s journal, Prologue Magazine, “Women Soldiers of the Civil War” by DeAnne Blanton, Spring 1993, Vol. 25, No. 1.

Less digital history and more digital future, but cool nevertheless.

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo has recently acquired a new beast for its “collection” (can we call it that?): a Giant Pacific Octopus. So far, this octopod is only a mere 3 pounds, hardly fitting for its name (according to the press releases, at this point in time it is too early to designate a gender to the octopus, though they suspect this is a male. I prefer to think that the Smithsonian is making a political statement about the constructions of gender. Or that perhaps in the mollusk kingdom, being agendered is where it’s at.). But soon the octopus will grow up to 13 times in size its CURRENT size, making this species of invertebrate the “giant panda” of the sea. The only octopus at the National Zoo, this one will provide visitors and scholars with the opportunity to study one of the most interesting eight-sticky-suction-cup-adorned-armed creatures, ever.

You can watch the octopus live on the octopuscam!