Author John A. Ursillo’s New Book, "Elissa's Legacy," is a Compelling Historical Fiction That Follows a Young Woman Who Serves in the Civil War Disguised as a Man
Recent release “Elissa's Legacy” from Covenant Books author John A. Ursillo is a fascinating historical fiction that centers around Elissa, a young woman whose path leads her to fighting in the American Civil War under the guise of being a man. Inspired by true accounts of female military participation, “Elissa’s Legacy” explores how Elissa’s actions come to impact her descendants.
Richland, WA, June 13, 2025 --(PR.com)-- John A. Ursillo, was commissioned in the US Army on graduation from Northeastern University and holds a lifelong interest in all things historical and military, has completed his new book, “Elissa's Legacy”: a thrilling novel that centers around a young woman who makes a bold choice to serve as a man during the American Civil War, as well as the last impacting her actions have on her descendants.
“The story in ‘Elissa’s Legacy’ came about from an encounter with a side of CW history that had been introduced to me by my daughter, a doctoral occupational therapist with the Veterans’ Administration: an awareness of the phenomenon of women serving as men in the Civil War,” writes Ursillo. “Research discovered that the role of women on the home front as nurses grew from small beginnings (home front volunteers) to the formal introduction of the Dorothea Dix Corps of Nurses and morphed into first ad hoc assistance closer to the field of battle within military field hospitals both North and South.
“I discovered there was far more to this early female participation (i.e., the phenomenon of women serving in disguise as men in actual combat), hundreds of them by the War Department actual count. The success of these growing pains was the eventual system of military medical services that exist today.
“Deeper research into both areas of interest was spurred by my acquisition of a signed limited edition, 1864, copy of a memoir self-published by such a participant: Emma Edmonds, who served as a nurse, soldier, and spy. My copy was no. 51 in the edition, signed by Emma for the buyer, Miss Lucy Vanilly.
“The current work is not a retelling of Miss Edmonds’s story (which has been formally republished) but my attempt to meld the phenomenon of women in Civil War military service with the concept of how the actions and experiences of previous generations of a family (my character Elissa’s family and my family) can strongly influence behavior, mores, and actions of their descendants. I know this to be true from my own military service (Ordnance Corps EOD), my comrades, and those who currently serve.”
Published by Covenant Books of Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, John A. Ursillo’s new book will captivate readers as they discover an often-overlooked facet of the American Civil War, highlighting the contributions made from those who have been lost to the annals of history.
Readers can purchase “Elissa's Legacy” at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
Covenant Books is an international Christian owned and operated publishing house based in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. Covenant Books specializes in all genres of work which appeal to the Christian market. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Covenant Books at 843-507-8373.
“The story in ‘Elissa’s Legacy’ came about from an encounter with a side of CW history that had been introduced to me by my daughter, a doctoral occupational therapist with the Veterans’ Administration: an awareness of the phenomenon of women serving as men in the Civil War,” writes Ursillo. “Research discovered that the role of women on the home front as nurses grew from small beginnings (home front volunteers) to the formal introduction of the Dorothea Dix Corps of Nurses and morphed into first ad hoc assistance closer to the field of battle within military field hospitals both North and South.
“I discovered there was far more to this early female participation (i.e., the phenomenon of women serving in disguise as men in actual combat), hundreds of them by the War Department actual count. The success of these growing pains was the eventual system of military medical services that exist today.
“Deeper research into both areas of interest was spurred by my acquisition of a signed limited edition, 1864, copy of a memoir self-published by such a participant: Emma Edmonds, who served as a nurse, soldier, and spy. My copy was no. 51 in the edition, signed by Emma for the buyer, Miss Lucy Vanilly.
“The current work is not a retelling of Miss Edmonds’s story (which has been formally republished) but my attempt to meld the phenomenon of women in Civil War military service with the concept of how the actions and experiences of previous generations of a family (my character Elissa’s family and my family) can strongly influence behavior, mores, and actions of their descendants. I know this to be true from my own military service (Ordnance Corps EOD), my comrades, and those who currently serve.”
Published by Covenant Books of Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, John A. Ursillo’s new book will captivate readers as they discover an often-overlooked facet of the American Civil War, highlighting the contributions made from those who have been lost to the annals of history.
Readers can purchase “Elissa's Legacy” at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
Covenant Books is an international Christian owned and operated publishing house based in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. Covenant Books specializes in all genres of work which appeal to the Christian market. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Covenant Books at 843-507-8373.
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