Air Date: Monday, August 18, 2025

• Born: 1844 in Martinsburg, Virginia (now West Virginia)
• Family: Prosperous Southern family; father was shopkeeper and tobacco farmer
• Education: Mount Washington Female College in Baltimore - refined upbringing with music, dance, social graces
• Age at war's start: Just 17 years old when Civil War began

• Initial incident: July 1861 - shot and killed Union soldier who insulted her mother and attempted to hang Union flag over their home
• Military inquiry: Shooting ruled justified, but marked her as Confederate sympathizer
• Strategic location: Martinsburg in crucial Shenandoah Valley, frequently changing hands
• Natural advantages: Youth, beauty, and social skills made her ideal for intelligence work

• Social infiltration: Charmed Union officers at social gatherings
• Active intelligence gathering: Eavesdropped on strategy meetings in local hotels
• Creative surveillance: Hid in closets, spied through knothole in floor
• Direct delivery: Personally carried intelligence to Confederate commanders rather than using intermediaries
• Horsemanship: Used riding skills and terrain knowledge to move between lines

• Date: May 23, 1862 during Shenandoah Valley Campaign
• Location: Front Royal, Virginia
• Method: Gathered intelligence while staying at aunt's hotel where Union officers were quartered
• The ride: Galloped across open ground between armies with bullets tearing through her skirts
• Impact: Intelligence led to Jackson's successful attack that captured Front Royal and cleared Union forces from Shenandoah Valley
• Recognition: Jackson sent personal thanks, reportedly made her honorary captain and aide-de-camp
• Nickname: Earned "La Belle Rebelle" in Southern newspapers

• First arrest: July 1862, sent to Old Capitol Prison in Washington D.C.
• Media attention: Newspapers covered story extensively, enhancing her fame
• Release: After one month in prisoner exchange, sent to Richmond
• Second arrest: 1863 while carrying dispatches between Richmond and Northern operatives
• Serious illness: Contracted typhoid fever in prison, released on medical grounds December 1863
• Banishment: Sent to Europe as exile from Union territory

• In England: Published memoirs "Belle Boyd in Camp and Prison," began stage career
• Marriage: Wed Samuel Wylde Hardinge, former Union naval officer who had escorted her to Europe
• Widowhood: Hardinge died in 1865, leaving her widow at 21 with infant daughter
• Return to America: Continued theatrical career, performed re-enactments of wartime exploits
• Multiple marriages: Married twice more, had four additional children
• Financial struggles: Relied on performances and book sales to support family
• Death: 1900 while on lecture tour in Wisconsin at age 56

Air Date: Monday, August 11, 2025

• Background: Born 1831 in Massachusetts, civil engineer trained at Norwich University
• Pre-war experience: Railroad surveying in the Midwest, developing skills in cartography and logistics
• Military appointment: Colonel of the Fourth Iowa Volunteer Infantry at start of Civil War
• Innovation in funding: Used fines and seized Confederate property to pay agents independently of Army records
• Recruitment strategy: Employed pro-Union Southerners, formerly enslaved people, and locals who could move without suspicion
• Early success: Battle of Pea Ridge (1862) - agents discovered Confederate flanking plan, Dodge blocked route with felled trees
• Network growth: By 1862, had over 100 operatives across Confederate territory
• Security protocols: Used code names/numbers, refused to share agent lists even with superior officers
• Multi-source approach: Combined spy networks with newspapers, refugees, prisoners, scouts, and detectives

• First systematic military intelligence operation in American Civil War
• Established practices that foreshadowed modern military intelligence
• Demonstrated strategic value of professional intelligence vs. casual reconnaissance

Air Date: Thursday, August 15, 2025

• Vicksburg Campaign (1863): Network infiltrated the fortress city, obtained pass from Confederate general
• Critical intelligence: Philip Henson reported Johnston's relief force was only 30,000 (half the claimed strength)
• Strategic impact: Grant could maintain siege pressure while sending minimal forces against Johnston
• Vicksburg surrender: July 4, 1863 - victory directly influenced by Dodge's intelligence
• Counterintelligence: Exposed Coleman's Scouts, captured Confederate courier Sam Davis
• Atlanta Campaign (1864): Served as field commander of XVI Corps while maintaining intelligence operations
• Grant's assessment: Called Dodge's command "much more important than that of a division in the field"
• Post-war career: Chief engineer of Union Pacific Railroad
• Legacy: Established enduring principles of military intelligence operations

• Human intelligence from embedded local operatives
• Operational security and source protection
• Multi-source intelligence verification
• Independent operational funding
• Integration of intelligence into campaign planning

• Pioneered practices still used in contemporary military intelligence
• Demonstrated information advantage could be as decisive as numerical/material superiority
• Established template for professional intelligence operations

These episodes showcase how American military intelligence evolved from ad hoc cavalry reconnaissance to systematic professional operations during the Civil War. Dodge's innovations influenced military thinking and established precedents that carried forward into 20th-century warfare.

• Both episodes feature mixed advertising for "The Death of the Admiral" (currently available) and "The Frederick Alliance" (September 2025 release)
• Episodes emphasize the strategic rather than just tactical value of intelligence operations
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• Content connects Civil War innovations to modern intelligence practices

Air Date: Monday, August 11, 2025

• Background: Born 1831 in Massachusetts, civil engineer trained at Norwich University
• Pre-war experience: Railroad surveying in the Midwest, developing skills in cartography and logistics
• Military appointment: Colonel of the Fourth Iowa Volunteer Infantry at start of Civil War
• Innovation in funding: Used fines and seized Confederate property to pay agents independently of Army records
• Recruitment strategy: Employed pro-Union Southerners, formerly enslaved people, and locals who could move without suspicion
• Early success: Battle of Pea Ridge (1862) - agents discovered Confederate flanking plan, Dodge blocked route with felled trees
• Network growth: By 1862, had over 100 operatives across Confederate territory
• Security protocols: Used code names/numbers, refused to share agent lists even with superior officers
• Multi-source approach: Combined spy networks with newspapers, refugees, prisoners, scouts, and detectives

• First systematic military intelligence operation in American Civil War
• Established practices that foreshadowed modern military intelligence
• Demonstrated strategic value of professional intelligence vs. casual reconnaissance

Air Date: Thursday, August 15, 2025

• Vicksburg Campaign (1863): Network infiltrated the fortress city, obtained pass from Confederate general
• Critical intelligence: Philip Henson reported Johnston's relief force was only 30,000 (half the claimed strength)
• Strategic impact: Grant could maintain siege pressure while sending minimal forces against Johnston
• Vicksburg surrender: July 4, 1863 - victory directly influenced by Dodge's intelligence
• Counterintelligence: Exposed Coleman's Scouts, captured Confederate courier Sam Davis
• Atlanta Campaign (1864): Served as field commander of XVI Corps while maintaining intelligence operations
• Grant's assessment: Called Dodge's command "much more important than that of a division in the field"
• Post-war career: Chief engineer of Union Pacific Railroad
• Legacy: Established enduring principles of military intelligence operations

• Human intelligence from embedded local operatives
• Operational security and source protection
• Multi-source intelligence verification
• Independent operational funding
• Integration of intelligence into campaign planning

• Pioneered practices still used in contemporary military intelligence
• Demonstrated information advantage could be as decisive as numerical/material superiority
• Established template for professional intelligence operations

These episodes showcase how American military intelligence evolved from ad hoc cavalry reconnaissance to systematic professional operations during the Civil War. Dodge's innovations influenced military thinking and established precedents that carried forward into 20th-century warfare.

• Both episodes feature mixed advertising for "The Death of the Admiral" (currently available) and "The Frederick Alliance" (September 2025 release)
• Episodes emphasize the strategic rather than just...

Episodes 8-9: "Somerset Maugham: The Writer Who Spied" and "The Art of Literary Espionage" explore the dual career of one of the 20th century's most accomplished authors who also served as a British intelligence agent during World War One. These episodes examine how Maugham's experiences as Agent "Somerville" profoundly influenced his literary work and helped establish the foundation for modern espionage fiction.

Literary Intelligence: How writers' observational skills and psychological insight make them effective intelligence operatives Moral Ambiguity: The ethical complexities of espionage work and how they influenced Maugham's fiction Professional Duality: Balancing public literary fame with secret intelligence work Revolutionary Russia: Intelligence gathering during political upheaval and the collapse of governments Genre Innovation: The creation of realistic espionage fiction based on actual experience Psychological Costs: The personal toll of living with secrets and divided loyalties Cultural Influence: How real intelligence work shaped popular perceptions of espionage Art from Experience: The transformation of personal trauma and moral complexity into enduring literature

Maugham's intelligence career unfolded during World War One, when European powers desperately needed information about enemy intentions and neutral nation sympathies. Switzerland became a crucial intelligence hub where representatives from all belligerent nations operated. The Russian Revolution of 1917 created particular urgency for British intelligence, as Russia's potential withdrawal from the war would allow Germany to concentrate all forces on the Western Front. Maugham's mission to Russia represented one of the last attempts to keep Russia in the war through intelligence operations and propaganda.

• Maugham, W. Somerset. The Summing Up. London: Heinemann, 1938.
• Maugham, W. Somerset. Ashenden: Or the British Agent. London: Heinemann, 1928.
• Maugham, W. Somerset. A Writer's Notebook. London: Heinemann, 1949.
• British Foreign Office Files on Switzerland, 1916-1917. The National Archives, Kew.
• Secret Intelligence Service Records, 1916-1918. The National Archives, Kew.
• Maugham's correspondence with British intelligence officials, Imperial War Museums.

• Hastings, Selina. The Secret Lives of Somerset Maugham. London: John Murray, 2009.
• Morgan, Ted. Maugham: A Biography. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1980.
• Curtis, Anthony. The Pattern of Maugham: A Critical Portrait. London: Hamish Hamilton, 1974.
• Rogal, Samuel J. A Somerset Maugham Encyclopedia. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1997.
• Loss, Archie K. W. Somerset Maugham. New York: Frederick Ungar, 1987.
• Archer, Stanley. W. Somerset Maugham: A Study of the Short Fiction. New York: Twayne, 1993.

• Andrew, Christopher. The Secret Service: The Making of the British Intelligence Community. London: Heinemann, 1985.
• Judd, Alan. The Quest for C: Sir Mansfield Cumming and the Founding of the Secret Service. London: HarperCollins, 1999.
• Occleshaw, Michael. Armour Against Fate: British Military Intelligence in the First World War. London: Columbus Books, 1989.
• French, David. The Strategy of the Lloyd George Coalition, 1916-1918. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995.
• Figes, Orlando. A People's Tragedy: The Russian Revolution...

Episodes 8-9: "Somerset Maugham: The Writer Who Spied" and "The Art of Literary Espionage" explore the dual career of one of the 20th century's most accomplished authors who also served as a British intelligence agent during World War One. These episodes examine how Maugham's experiences as Agent "Somerville" profoundly influenced his literary work and helped establish the foundation for modern espionage fiction.

Literary Intelligence: How writers' observational skills and psychological insight make them effective intelligence operatives Moral Ambiguity: The ethical complexities of espionage work and how they influenced Maugham's fiction Professional Duality: Balancing public literary fame with secret intelligence work Revolutionary Russia: Intelligence gathering during political upheaval and the collapse of governments Genre Innovation: The creation of realistic espionage fiction based on actual experience Psychological Costs: The personal toll of living with secrets and divided loyalties Cultural Influence: How real intelligence work shaped popular perceptions of espionage Art from Experience: The transformation of personal trauma and moral complexity into enduring literature

Maugham's intelligence career unfolded during World War One, when European powers desperately needed information about enemy intentions and neutral nation sympathies. Switzerland became a crucial intelligence hub where representatives from all belligerent nations operated. The Russian Revolution of 1917 created particular urgency for British intelligence, as Russia's potential withdrawal from the war would allow Germany to concentrate all forces on the Western Front. Maugham's mission to Russia represented one of the last attempts to keep Russia in the war through intelligence operations and propaganda.

• Maugham, W. Somerset. The Summing Up. London: Heinemann, 1938.
• Maugham, W. Somerset. Ashenden: Or the British Agent. London: Heinemann, 1928.
• Maugham, W. Somerset. A Writer's Notebook. London: Heinemann, 1949.
• British Foreign Office Files on Switzerland, 1916-1917. The National Archives, Kew.
• Secret Intelligence Service Records, 1916-1918. The National Archives, Kew.
• Maugham's correspondence with British intelligence officials, Imperial War Museums.

• Hastings, Selina. The Secret Lives of Somerset Maugham. London: John Murray, 2009.
• Morgan, Ted. Maugham: A Biography. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1980.
• Curtis, Anthony. The Pattern of Maugham: A Critical Portrait. London: Hamish Hamilton, 1974.
• Rogal, Samuel J. A Somerset Maugham Encyclopedia. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1997.
• Loss, Archie K. W. Somerset Maugham. New York: Frederick Ungar, 1987.
• Archer, Stanley. W. Somerset Maugham: A Study of the Short Fiction. New York: Twayne, 1993.

• Andrew, Christopher. The Secret Service: The Making of the British Intelligence Community. London: Heinemann, 1985.
• Judd, Alan. The Quest for C: Sir Mansfield Cumming and the Founding of the Secret Service. London: HarperCollins, 1999.
• Occleshaw, Michael. Armour Against Fate: British Military Intelligence in the First World War. London: Columbus Books, 1989.
• French, David. The Strategy of the Lloyd George Coalition, 1916-1918. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995.
• Figes, Orlando. A People's Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1924. London: Jonathan Cape,...

Episode 21: "Charles Talleyrand: The Making of a Master Betrayer" and Episode 22: "Charles Talleyrand: The Ultimate Betrayal" tell the remarkable story of one of history's most skilled diplomatic manipulators. These episodes trace Talleyrand's transformation from aristocratic bishop to revolutionary supporter to Napoleon's Foreign Minister and ultimately to his betrayer. The story explores how Talleyrand's calculated treachery—selling military secrets to Austria and Russia while serving Napoleon—positioned him to save France from devastating peace terms after the Emperor's defeat. His career exemplifies the complex relationship between personal survival, political pragmatism, and national interest.

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• Political Survival: The art of adapting to regime changes while maintaining power and influence
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• 
  
• Calculated Betrayal: Strategic treachery in service of larger goals versus personal opportunism
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• 
  
• Diplomatic Intelligence: The intersection of espionage and high-level diplomacy
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• Moral Pragmatism: The ethical complexities of serving competing loyalties simultaneously
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• 
  
• National Interest vs. Personal Loyalty: Conflicts between service to individuals and service to the state
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• Revolutionary Transformation: How political upheaval creates opportunities for social mobility
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• International Relations: The development of modern diplomatic practices and alliance systems
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• Historical Continuity: How skilled operators survive across multiple political systems
• 
  

The episodes span the most turbulent period in modern European history, from the French Revolution (1789) through the Congress of Vienna (1814-1815). Talleyrand's career intersected with major events including the French Revolution, the Reign of Terror, the Directory, Napoleon's rise and fall, and the reconstruction of Europe after the Napoleonic Wars. His story illustrates how individual actors could shape international relations during this period of unprecedented political transformation.

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• Talleyrand, Charles Maurice de. Memoirs of the Prince de Talleyrand (5 volumes, 1891-1892) - Talleyrand's own (heavily edited) account
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• Metternich, Klemens von. Memoirs of Prince Metternich (1880-1882) - Perspective from his diplomatic rival
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• Wellington, Duke of. Supplementary Despatches (1858-1872) - British diplomatic correspondence
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• 
  
• French Foreign Ministry Archives - Diplomatic correspondence and secret negotiations
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• Austrian State Archives, Vienna - Intelligence reports and diplomatic records
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• Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris - Talleyrand papers and manuscript collections
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• Schom, Alan. Napoleon Bonaparte (1997) - Context for Talleyrand's relationship with Napoleon
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• Zamoyski, Adam. Rites of Peace: The Fall of Napoleon and the Congress of Vienna (2007) - Detailed account of the Congress of Vienna
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• 
  
• Dwyer, Philip G.. Citizen Emperor: Napoleon in Power (2013) - Analysis of Napoleonic governance and...

Episode 21: "Charles Talleyrand: The Making of a Master Betrayer" and Episode 22: "Charles Talleyrand: The Ultimate Betrayal" tell the remarkable story of one of history's most skilled diplomatic manipulators. These episodes trace Talleyrand's transformation from aristocratic bishop to revolutionary supporter to Napoleon's Foreign Minister and ultimately to his betrayer. The story explores how Talleyrand's calculated treachery—selling military secrets to Austria and Russia while serving Napoleon—positioned him to save France from devastating peace terms after the Emperor's defeat. His career exemplifies the complex relationship between personal survival, political pragmatism, and national interest.

• 
  
• Political Survival: The art of adapting to regime changes while maintaining power and influence
• 
  
• 
  
• Calculated Betrayal: Strategic treachery in service of larger goals versus personal opportunism
• 
  
• 
  
• Diplomatic Intelligence: The intersection of espionage and high-level diplomacy
• 
  
• 
  
• Moral Pragmatism: The ethical complexities of serving competing loyalties simultaneously
• 
  
• 
  
• National Interest vs. Personal Loyalty: Conflicts between service to individuals and service to the state
• 
  
• 
  
• Revolutionary Transformation: How political upheaval creates opportunities for social mobility
• 
  
• 
  
• International Relations: The development of modern diplomatic practices and alliance systems
• 
  
• 
  
• Historical Continuity: How skilled operators survive across multiple political systems
• 
  

The episodes span the most turbulent period in modern European history, from the French Revolution (1789) through the Congress of Vienna (1814-1815). Talleyrand's career intersected with major events including the French Revolution, the Reign of Terror, the Directory, Napoleon's rise and fall, and the reconstruction of Europe after the Napoleonic Wars. His story illustrates how individual actors could shape international relations during this period of unprecedented political transformation.

• 
  
• Talleyrand, Charles Maurice de. Memoirs of the Prince de Talleyrand (5 volumes, 1891-1892) - Talleyrand's own (heavily edited) account
• 
  
• 
  
• Metternich, Klemens von. Memoirs of Prince Metternich (1880-1882) - Perspective from his diplomatic rival
• 
  
• 
  
• Wellington, Duke of. Supplementary Despatches (1858-1872) - British diplomatic correspondence
• 
  
• 
  
• French Foreign Ministry Archives - Diplomatic correspondence and secret negotiations
• 
  
• 
  
• Austrian State Archives, Vienna - Intelligence reports and diplomatic records
• 
  
• 
  
• Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris - Talleyrand papers and manuscript collections
• 
  

• 
  
• Schom, Alan. Napoleon Bonaparte (1997) - Context for Talleyrand's relationship with Napoleon
• 
  
• 
  
• Zamoyski, Adam. Rites of Peace: The Fall of Napoleon and the Congress of Vienna (2007) - Detailed account of the Congress of Vienna
• 
  
• 
  
• Dwyer, Philip G.. Citizen Emperor: Napoleon in Power (2013) - Analysis of Napoleonic governance and...

"The Master of Disguise: Sarah Emma Edmonds" tells the extraordinary story of a Canadian woman who fled an abusive home, enlisted in the Union Army as Franklin Thompson, and became one of the Civil War's most successful spies. The episode explores how Edmonds used her remarkable ability to assume multiple identities—including an enslaved person, Irish peddler, and Confederate soldier—to gather crucial intelligence behind enemy lines. Her story illustrates the intersection of gender deception, military service, and espionage during America's defining conflict.

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• Gender and Identity: The challenges and advantages of maintaining a false gender identity in 19th-century society
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• Disguise and Deception: The art of assuming multiple personas for intelligence gathering
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• Civil War Espionage: The development of Union intelligence operations and unconventional warfare
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• Women in Warfare: Hidden contributions of women to military efforts despite official exclusion
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• Psychological Warfare: The mental demands of maintaining cover identities under extreme stress
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• Social Mobility: How crisis situations could provide opportunities for individuals to transcend social limitations
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• Recognition and Memory: Post-war acknowledgment of unconventional service contributions
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The episode takes place during the American Civil War (1861-1865), focusing on the Peninsula Campaign and other major Union operations where intelligence gathering was crucial. Edmonds' service occurred during a period when military intelligence was becoming more systematic and when the Union Army was developing new approaches to reconnaissance and espionage. Her story reflects the broader context of women's limited legal rights and social mobility in 19th-century North America.

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• Edmonds, S. Emma E. Nurse and Spy in the Union Army (1865) - Edmonds' own account of her experiences
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• War of the Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies - Military records mentioning intelligence operations
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• 2nd Michigan Infantry Regiment Records - Service records and unit histories
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• Grand Army of the Republic Archives - Veterans' organization records including Edmonds' membership
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• National Archives - Civil War military service records and pension files
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• Blanton, DeAnne and Cook, Lauren M. They Fought Like Demons: Women Soldiers in the American Civil War (2002) - Comprehensive study of women in combat roles
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• Hall, Richard Patriots in Disguise: Women Warriors of the Civil War (2003) - Focused examination of female soldiers and spies
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• Leonard, Elizabeth D. All the Daring of the Soldier: Women of the Civil War Armies (1999) - Academic analysis of women's military contributions
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• Wheelwright, Julie Amazons and Military Maids: Women Who Dressed as Men in Pursuit of Life, Liberty and Happiness (1989) - Broader historical context
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• Young, Alfred F. Masquerade: The Life and Times of Deborah Sampson, Continental Soldier...