How were some women able to fight in Civil War battles?

Historians estimate that as many as 1,000 women may have disguised themselves as men and served in the Confederate and Union armies. ... Dressed as men, women took on a wide range of military roles in the Civil War.

They sewed uniforms, provided blankets, mended shoes, washed clothes, and cooked for the soldiers. Perhaps the most important role women played during the war was providing medical care for sick and wounded soldiers. Thousands of women worked as nurses throughout the war.