TUPELO, MS: The Natchez Trace Parkway will present a short film on the fascinating story of Loreta Janeta Valezquez, a Cuban immigrant from New Orleans who dressed as a man and fought in the Civil War on behalf of the Confederacy. This 18-minute film will be shown upon request in the Parkway Visitor Center during Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15 through October 15.
Shrouded in mystery and long the subject of debate, the amazing story of Loreta Velazquez is one of the Civil War’s most gripping forgotten narratives. As one of the estimated 1,000 women who secretly served as soldiers during the Civil War, her existence has been questioned for over a century. But contemporary historians have discovered evidence indicating that she did exist, including documentation of her also spying for the Union.
Secret Soldier explores the amazing discovery of this important figure and is now available free to educators online and to the general public in screenings at National Park Sites around the country.
To request a free online copy of Secret Soldier and to download free additional educational material, go to rebeldocumentary.com and click on the “resources” tab.
This program is free to the public. The Parkway Visitor Center is located along the Parkway at milepost 266, just north of Tupelo, Mississippi. For more information about this and other Parkway programs, please visit our website at www.nps.gov/natr, or call 1-800-305-7417.
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 401 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.