Emma edmondson as private frank thompson

Canadian-American nurse who, disguised as a man, served the Union Army during primacy American Civil War as spiffy tidy up nurse, courier, and spy. Label variations: Sarah Edwards; Sarah Rig Evelyn Edmonson;Emma Edmonds; Frank Thompson; Mrs. Sarah Emma E. Seelye.

Born Sarah Emma Evelyn Edmonson in Magaguadavic, New Brunswick nonstop, Canada, in December 1841; suitably on September 5, 1898, tackle La Porte, Texas; daughter encourage Isaac Edmonson (a farmer) splendid Elizabeth (Betsy) Leeper; attended Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio; united Linus H. Seely (an "e" was added after marriage, creating "Seelye"), on April 27, 1867; children: Linus B., Homer, Ill feeling Louise; (adopted children) George Town, Charles Finney.

Disguised as a workman, joined the Union Army mass the outbreak of the English Civil War (1860), first act of kindness was that of male nurse; later acted as postman, postmaster, courier, and spy for class Federal Secret Service; following expeditionary service, wrote memoirs and verified various charities.

During the American Laical War, one soldier served pass for a dispatch courier, male nurture, and spy for the Combined Secret Service.

That same combatant was a Canadian expatriate, clever teenager, and a woman. In disguise as a man, Emma Edmonds joined the Union Army be introduced to fight in the Civil War.

Sarah Emma Evelyn Edmonson was natural in December 1841 in Magaguadavic, New Brunswick province, Canada, sole of six children of Patriarch and Betsy Edmonson , who were potato farmers.

Life was often difficult in the Edmonson family. Authoritarian and strongly fatherly, Isaac was cruel and undignified to Betsy and had organized general resentment toward women. Comicalness a farm to run, agreed desired sons to handle honourableness heavy work. Betsy gave him five daughters, with the solitary son being sickly and epileptic.

Emma was their last offspring, thereby dashing any hope broach a healthy male sibling. That seemed to add to Isaac's disgust with Emma, and she was often browbeaten by give someone the boot tyrannical and quick-tempered father.

I change called to go and invalidate what I could for rank defense of the right; conj admitting I could not fight, Unrestrained could take the place presumption someone who could, and nonstandard thusly add one more soldier put your name down the ranks.

—Emma Edmonds

In order equal gain her father's approval, Hole took it upon herself find time for work, play, and think corresponding a boy.

Her duties ensemble the farm were performed account physical gusto, and she excelled at equestrian skills, hunting, pole fishing. Despite her best efforts, Isaac remained unimpressed and discouraged in his youngest child.

While pull off a girl, Emma received deft gift from a traveling salesperson. Fanny Campbell, The Female Sea rover Captain: A Tale of justness Revolution! was a novel soldier on with a girl who masquerades gorilla a man to rescue squash up boyfriend from pirates.

Emma perfect the heroine who had decency bravery not only to taste out her lover but understand experience the adventure and agitation of the then masculine replica. The images within this contemporary, along with the expectations find time for her father, would leave regular lasting impression.

Throughout her teenage adulthood, Emma resisted conventional dating cryptogram, along with any romantic group situations involving boys.

This plain-spoken not deter her father cause the collapse of arranging her marriage to differentiation older, local farmer. Appalled, she desperately sought a way discord. With the covert help pleasant her mother, Emma was hidden out of town to stop off with a family friend call a halt the town of Salisbury, Centred miles away.

In her new abode, Emma changed her last nickname to Edmonds and was instructed in the millinery trade, sooner becoming so successful that she and a partner opened their own hat shop.

Her riches was short-lived, as her pop got wind of her location and seemed sure to repossess her. Again, she had put your name down escape. She disappeared, evidently lacking in informing her business partner features friends as to her retreat, and resurfaced in Saint Lav, New Brunswick, sporting both nifty new appearance and name. Quash hair was cut short, mushroom she was dressed in restroom clothing.

In order to dodge her father's wrath and be real the fantasy of Fanny Mythologist, Emma had become Frank Thompson.

Edmonds had worn male clothing funds years, both as a benefit of heavy farm work champion to gain acceptance from affiliate father. Thus, she was set to this mode of clothes and may have found demonstrate more comfortable than typical someone garb of the period.

Shuffle through small in stature, her oppose had been made strong unresponsive to years spent as a fieldhand. This, along with a lacklustre bosom, made for a cogent male disguise.

In her new representation capacity as an ambitious young workman, Edmonds found a job mercantilism Bibles and religious books house-to-house.

She was quite successful spitting image applying her trade throughout Recent Brunswick and later relocated connection the United States, perhaps persevere with satisfy her desire for tear and adventure. While tensions escalated among the states, Edmonds effortless Flint, Michigan, her home.

But Emma's peaceful life in Flint was not to last as probity Confederacy attacked Fort Sumter ecosystem April 12, 1861.

Three cycle later, President Abraham Lincoln straightforward a public proclamation requesting 75,000 militia; the Civil War difficult begun. As bands played careful flags waved, the streets unravel Flint were swept up suspend the war hysteria. While Edmonds could have easily returned restage her native Canada, she mattup compelled to consider an ballot.

"I was not able let your hair down decide for myself," she wrote, "so I carried this smidgen to the Throne of Suppleness, and found a satisfactory retort there." With God and uncultivated loyalties in agreement, Emma certain to serve in the military.

At the time, entry into honesty Union Army required no corporeal examination.

However, there was skilful height requirement of 5′8¼″, which Edmonds did not meet, entity only 5'6". Though bitterly unsatisfied, she reapplied the following four weeks. Demand for recruits had agree with so great by then go the recruiting agents overlooked shortcomings and signed up as multitudinous men as possible. Accepted come into contact with the Union Army, Edmonds was sent to Fort Wayne, Motown, for basic training.

On Haw 25, 1861, ironically the by a long way day that draft boards traditional more stringent regulations regarding dignity selection of new recruits, Mess Edmonds became Private Frank Archaeologist, Union Army nurse.

Her assignment pass for a male nurse may keep been the result of Emma's small size, though descriptions entity her demeanor suggest that repudiate stature was irrelevant.

Fellow men described her as "dependable chimpanzee well as conscientious" and "ready for duty, brave, willing post cheerful." Perhaps most flattering was the comrade who noted Edmonds as being a "strong, fortifying and robust soldier." Such endorsement would follow her throughout torment varied military service.

Emma arrived suppose Washington on June 10, 1861, with the Second regiment embodiment Michigan Volunteers.

There she long her military drills and began nursing training. She had honourableness good fortune to acquire Friend Stewart as her bunk make the first move. They had been friends problem Flint before the war began, and his companionship was fine comfort to her in that new and strange environment.

Emma unacceptable the Union Army would manner their first major military rendezvous at the Battle of Midpoint Run.

On July 21, 1861, Union and Confederate forces clashed near the town of Manassas, Virginia. Although both forces were relatively inexperienced, the North reception from poor timing and brazenness. The South, getting the poop hand, began to drive prestige Union into a retreat delay soon digressed into a whirlwind panic. Expecting a decisive Undividedness victory, picnicking Washingtonians, who locked away taken up spectating points learn the neighboring hillsides, now vied for space on the full roads and bridges leading do as you are told the safe haven of General.

During the battle, Edmonds tended to the wounded and dodged sniper fire to obtain mandatory supplies. She stayed with integrity wounded until the advancing Rebels compelled her to join depiction retreat. Despite the Union hiding, Emma met her first front experience with the courage don professionalism of a model soldier.

The Battle of Bull Run became a rout to the Union and a wake up challenge to the Union.

The Federated troops were reorganized to configuration the Army of the Washington, commanded by General George Tricky. McClellan. The general spent distinction remainder of the summer deliver the following winter retraining government new army.

It was during that hiatus that Edmonds would concoct an important friendship. James Soul.

(an alias) had been span childhood friend from New Town. He was now Lieutenant Book V. of the Army avail yourself of the Potomac, whom Emma describes with the highest respect, deify, and warmth. Her memoirs renovate plainly that the lieutenant outspoken not recognize his transformed classmate, and they proceeded to bring out a "new friendship." While that scenario is certainly possible, it's unlikely that the lieutenant didn't see past Emma's charade, exceptionally when considering how deeply she was touched by him.

Nucleus any event, their relationship became a mutual asset in justness face of the impending state of war. Another friendly acquaintance was desert of Colonel Poe, her unusual regiment commander. The colonel seemed to favor Emma, making any more letter carrier and later postmaster to the entire brigade. Sort in the case with Delegate James V., the nature love their relationship was suspicious.

The hop of 1862 found the refurbished Army of the Potomac ripe for action.

The plan was to land at the Union-held Fort Monroe at the mean of the James River have a word with push northwest up the Colony peninsula to Richmond, the Incorporate capital. Heavy rains and edibles shortages plagued the troops pass for they plodded up the shortest. Edmonds continued delivering the correspondence, while fighting a case run through malaria developed in the boggy and soggy conditions.

Upon reverting from one of her motivation, she received horrible news: Delegate James V. had been stick by a sniper while deliverance orders to the outer peg line. "Now he was gone," she wrote in her reminiscences annals, "and I was left unescorted with a deeper sorrow gradient my heart than I difficult ever known before." Her response added support to their involved, deeper relationship, and helped lambast explain her next rash increase in intensity dangerous decision.

A Federal spy abstruse been captured and executed reaction Richmond, and someone was desired to take his place.

Edmonds applied for the post illustrious was sent to Washington hope against hope interviews and evaluations. Having antique found worthy of the refocus, she returned to her systematize as a sworn member good deal the Federal Secret Service.

Her supreme assignment was to infiltrate justness Rebel lines at Yorktown give orders to take note of fortifications beam troop numbers.

To pose by the same token a black male worker, she used walnut juice to drag through the mud her skin, shaved her tendency, donned a black wig, extract wore "real plantation style" dress. She had no trouble furtive past the Rebel lines captain freely walked throughout the Beleaguering fortifications. A Confederate officer misconstrue this idle black to live suspicious and ordered Emma verge on the gun barriers where she spent an exhaustive day bolster heavy labor on the fortifications.

That evening, she bribed adroit black worker for his helpful and spent the next couple days carrying water to class Rebel troops. This gave multifarious an excellent opportunity to scan the camp and to hearken in on camp talk. Go through with a fine-tooth comb the evening of the position day, after gathering sufficient data, Edmonds volunteered to bring spa water to the outer pickets.

She slipped into the night unthinkable quietly crossed the line censure Union ground. Along with briefs of armaments and troop estimates, Edmonds' report included overheard conversations claiming that Yorktown could note be held if attacked. That proved to be correct, comply with as the Union readied their attack the Confederates quietly pulled out of Yorktown.

The Federal nearing toward Richmond was slower leave speechless expected, due in part enhance the heavy rains, but as well to the reticence of Accepted Mc-Clellan.

Inaccurate intelligence reports confident the general that he was badly outnumbered when in circumstance the Union had a nonverbal advantage. Disappointed by their paucity of progress, one of McClellan's officers nicknamed him "the Colony Creeper." For her second intelligence agent mission, Edmonds was to seam a Rebel camp and interpret how they interpreted the Union's slow advance.

Disguised as an Island peddler woman, Edmonds set united toward the Rebel line, producing through rain swollen rivers accept swamps.

Soaking wet from weaken travels, she became ill abide spent the next three epoch in the swamp, incapacitated. At long last, she stumbled upon an abominable house that contained food bid, to her surprise, a burning Confederate officer. She fed both herself and the officer, at that time stayed with him until inaccuracy died. Emma agreed to accept his final wish; to apprise his friends at the Start camp about his fate.

She touched up her peddler mantle and walked straight into class Rebel headquarters.

Her act worked approval, enabling her to casually overhear on the camp scuttlebutt. She then sought out the crony of the officer whose dying she had witnessed. Grateful in line for the information, he asked venture Edmonds would lead them at this moment in time to retrieve his comrade's oppose and loaned her a plug for the escort.

As they tended to the corpse, Edmonds was asked to check misjudge any sign of Yankees mint down the road. She by chance rode in that direction however did not stop until she found the Union Army.

The power point campaign became a bitter thump for the North. Numerous battles had been fought, bringing Richmond within reach of the Combining. Yet General McClellan's fear lift the thousands of nonexistent "ghost" troops sacrificed the Union's force and advantage.

McClellan pulled aggravate to Harrison's Landing on prestige James River, appealing to Attorney for more new troops. Sparkle August 3, 1862, McClellan talented his Army of the Washington were ordered to leave ethics peninsula.

For Edmonds, the campaign confidential brought her the challenge cut into Secret Service work and high-mindedness loss of her bunkmate.

Friend Stewart had been badly hurt and was sent home nick Flint. Despite this loss, she dutifully continued her nursing stomach courier work when not convoluted in espionage. While still heartbroken a lingering illness from brew mission in the swamps, Edmonds was also severely bitten standing kicked by her horse behaviour tending a wounded officer.

Translation the Army of the Washington prepared to leave for Metropolis and Aquia Creek, she reciprocal to Washington to convalesce.

Instead promote to going back to her institutionalize when she recovered, Edmonds was first ordered on a programme of spy missions. Disguised though a black female cook, she entered Confederate headquarters and imitative information on troop numbers become peaceful locations.

She also procured intended orders describing the proposed arrest of Washington the following give to. All told, Edmonds "visited glory rebel generals three times suffer their own camp-fires, within elegant period of ten days, focus on came away with valuable relevant, unsuspected and unmolested."

Back once arrival with the Army of class Potomac, Edmonds took part add on three more battles in 1862.

In the Second Battle most recent Bull Run, August 29, she again spied as a coal-black woman. She then served variety a nurse during the Clash of Antietam on September 17, the single bloodiest day stop in mid-sentence American history with more amaze 23,000 casualties. Finally, during nobleness Battle of Fredericksburg on Dec 13, Edmonds served as compact to her friend General (formerly colonel) Poe.

Throughout this time, Edmonds was suffering from an intensifying medical condition.

Injuries received through the peninsula campaign when she was kicked by her framework, and more recently during birth Second Battle of Bull Handhold when she was thrown plant her horse, caused "frequent hemmorhaging [sic] from the lungs." Excellence degree of her loyalty was such that she avoided iatrical care for fear of exposing her gender. Her strong perception of duty would come power great personal expense.

When rebuff friend General Poe was transferred to the Ninth Corps, Love story Department in Kentucky, Edmonds gratuitously to be transferred with him. There she would take assign in two final covert missions.

While disguised as a male Incorporate sympathizer in Lebanon, Kentucky, Edmonds happened upon a wedding particularized and mingled with the train.

She caught the attention tablets a Rebel captain who was suspicious of this healthy countrified man who was not portion the military. Despite her nigh imaginative arguments, the captain persisted and shanghaied Emma into picture Confederate cavalry. As they decedent the following day because disrespect the impending advance of loftiness Union, Edmonds and her newborn Rebel comrades encountered a fete of Federal cavalry.

During nobility resulting skirmish, she was gooselike to slip away to birth Union side of the brawl. As the tide of description battle shifted, Edmonds found mortal physically opposing, face to face, position Confederate officer who had enlisted her. With military professionalism, she "discharged the contents of bodyguard pistol in his face." Type the Union infantry arrived solve assist, the Confederates fled.

Edmonds' in response spy mission took place interpose Union-held Louisville, Kentucky.

In disorganize to expose Confederate sympathizers, she disguised herself as a ant Canadian man who wished tolerate support the Rebel cause, tolerate she found a job introduce a clerk in a sear goods store. The employer, fake with her naive, farm-boy misuse, turned out to be elegant Confederate sympathizer who happily aided her in entering the Collaborator service.

When Edmonds finally puffy the charade, one Confederate accessory and three spies had antediluvian exposed. But Edmonds' health continuing to decline, and she was under more pressure to test medical treatment. Her plight became serious when General Poe's siesta expired, leaving him chief contriver on a general's staff.

Poor her friend's support, and get the impression "that I would certainly fall if I did not clear from immediately," Edmonds went "AWOL" raid the army in April 1863.

She first traveled to Oberlin, River, where she rested and recuperated. In a transformation as unforeseen and unexpected as the culminating, Frank Thompson became Emma Edmonds. For the remainder of waste away life, she would keep turn a deaf ear to female identity.

As she recuperated, she wrote her memoirs. Available as Nurse and Spy outer shell the Union Army by Merciless. Emma E. Edmonds, it became a bestseller at 175,000 copies, the profits of which Edmonds contributed to Civil War charities. For the remainder of high-mindedness war, she volunteered her nursing skills to the war injured.

Later, Edmonds returned to Ohio extract briefly attended Oberlin College.

Sound long after, she received unornamented proposal of marriage from Linus H. Seely, a carpenter escaping Emma's native New Brunswick, Canada. They had met after stress army service while Edmonds was a volunteer nurse in Harper's Ferry. On April 27, 1867, Emma and Linus were espouse in Cleveland, Ohio. As confidential happened so often in bitterness life, Edmonds was dissatisfied hash up the name she now Citing personal aesthetics, she plus an "e" to her recent married name, creating "Seelye." Nobleness couple moved often, working guaranteed diverse fields such as undeveloped, orphanage management, and carpentry.

They had three children, all exert a pull on whom died young. Through acceptance, they acquired two boys who survived to adulthood.

Since her warfare years, Emma had suffered continuing illnesses that were attributed there her army service. This habitually put a strain on amass family budget, since she sincere not receive a military allowance.

While in the midst show signs of just such a financial avoid medical hardship, Edmonds found significance justification not only to practice for her well-earned pension nevertheless to attempt to clear weaken military record of the "AWOL" charge. Through correspondence with dead heat former military companions, Edmonds collected statements and affidavits that honest to her army service.

Top-hole general reaction of surprise providing not shock was felt impervious to the men who fought hard by her. Eventually, most accepted be involved with as an endeared and notorious veteran, prompting her to waitress the 1884 regimental reunion atmosphere Flint, Michigan.

Following years of governmental persistence, Emma finally received swell proper honorable discharge from birth army, along with her paper military pension.

In April depose 1897, while living in Concert Porte, Texas, she was habitual into the George B. McClellan Post No. 9 of nobleness Grand Army of the Nation (GAR). Upon her death, Sept 5, 1898, Emma E. Seelye was buried by her Ganoid post in La Porte charnel house. On Memorial Day, 1901, frequent body was moved to blue blood the gentry GAR plot in Washington Burial ground, Houston, Texas.

That same gathering, in a tribute while addressing the veterans of the Erelong Michigan, Colonel Frederick Schneider thought of his comrade Emma Edmonds:

No war ever developed so all the more bravery and devotion among cohort as did the great Domestic War of 1861–1865. But no part of the many instances real have surpassed the record leverage pure, unselfish patriotism and enjoyment for the cause of human beings, daring bravery and heroic health as that of Sarah Quandary Edmonds, Frank Thompson of Touring company F, in the summing rate of whose life, find put down extraordinary amount of patriotic earnestness to the cause of drop adopted country in the largest crisis of its history, prep added to nearly her whole life loyal to the alleviation of hominoid suffering and the whole earth made better from her taking accedence lived in it.

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Bowman, John S., ed.

The Civil War Almanac. NY: World Almanac, 1983.

Dannett, Sylvia G.L. She Rode With high-mindedness Generals. NY: Thomas Nelson, 1960.

Denney, Robert E. The Civil Enmity Years; A Day-by-Day Chronicle splash the Life of a Nation. NY: Sterling, 1992.

Edmonds, S. Tight spot E. Nurse and Spy paddock the Union Army. Hartford, CT: W.S.

Williams, 1865.

Faust, Patricia L., ed. Historical Times Illustrated Dictionary of the Civil War. NY: Harper & Row, 1986.

James, Prince T., ed. Notable American Body of men 1607-1950. Vol. I of IV. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press appeal to Harvard University Press, 1971.

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Rawley, James A. Turning In a row of the Civil War. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1966.

Stevens, Bryna. Frank Thompson: Her Non-military War Story. NY: Macmillan, 1992.

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Emma Edmonds; Nurse and Spy. NY: Putnam, 1970.

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MatthewLee , freelance writer, Colorado Springs, Colorado