Below is a little eye opener into how you tune your mind into the 1860's mindset and throw away your modern knowledge when recognising women in the ranks.
As a modern day re-enactor, you may come across women soldiers within the ranks, and you're aware that women soldier re-enactors exist.
You may not always notice them dressed in their male attire, but maybe you notice little things about them that may make you think that they're female. The only reason you may think "he" is possibly a "she" before you is because you know it could be.
Soldiers of the Civil War didn't expect to find or see women soldier within the ranks, so they wouldn't be actively looking for women in disguise.
Mannerisms If a soldier had any feminine mannerisms, they weren't automatically seen to be a woman.
Young and fresh faced or a soldier who had been raised with many sisters and had their mannerisms!
Women in trousers
Women of the time wore large hoop skirts and petticoats, they didn't walk the streets in trousers. So people of the time didn't get to see women in trousers, unlike today. So they wouldn't be as aware of what a woman in trousers looks likes, as we are today.
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