Most people know Harriet Tubman for her heroic work on the Underground Railroad. But during the Civil War, she also became a spy, scout, and the first woman to lead a U.S. military raid.

Tubman worked with the Union Army’s intelligence department, gathering information from enslaved people behind Confederate lines. Her deep knowledge of local terrain and networks made her an invaluable resource.

In 1863, she planned and led the Combahee River Raid in South Carolina.

The mission? Free enslaved people, destroy Confederate supply lines, and gather intelligence.

The result? Over 700 people were freed — and Confederate forces were thrown into disarray.

Tubman was never officially paid or recognized as a military officer. But her actions made her one of the only women in U.S. history to lead troops in combat.

And she did it all in secret, long before women were allowed to serve in uniform.