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Browse all Genealogy Gold Podcast EpisodesWomen were barred from formally enlisting as soldiers during the Civil War, but some served under male identities. Sarah Emma Edmonds was one of them. Her service as Franklin Thompson was later supported by testimony from fellow soldiers and recognized by Congress.
Her story was well known during the early twentieth century but has been largely forgotten over the subsequent decades. It is a fascinating tale that is well worth remembering, as is the woman behind it all. Here is her story.
Early Life in Canada
Sarah was born in 1841 in New Brunswick, Canada, growing up on her family’s farm with her sisters. When she was fifteen, she left home to escape being forced into a marriage she did not want. She was aided in this escape by her mother, who was also forced to marry young against her will. When Sarah left home, she dressed as a boy and adopted the name “Franklin Thompson,” as traveling, working, and even eating alone in a restaurant was all easier to do as a man in those times.
Eventually, Sarah came to the United States and obtained a job with a prominent Bible seller and publisher in Hartford, Connecticut. When the Civil War broke out, she was interested in joining the Union as a soldier. This interest came from a book she read as a young girl called Fanny Campbell, the Female Pirate Captain, about a girl who captained a pirate ship during the American Revolution. In the book, Fanny captained the ship while dressed as a woman, but dressed as a man after the Revolution so she could go on other adventures with ease. This idea of dressing as a man in order to be a soldier appealed to Sarah.
Serving as Franklin Thompson
As Franklin Flint Thompson, Sarah joined Company F of the 2nd Michigan Infantry on May 25, 1861. Sarah later stated she felt patriotic toward her adopted home country and felt it was her duty to join the war to protect it. Because only cursory physical exams were required to join the Army at that time and did not involve being unclothed, she was able to pass for a man and was mustered into the Army.
Sarah served with the 2nd Michigan Infantry as Franklin Thompson. Her work included nursing, carrying messages, and other regimental duties. She left the regiment in spring 1863, before its service in the Vicksburg campaign.
Accounts of Espionage
In her memoir, Sarah described volunteering for espionage missions. Her service as Franklin Thompson is supported by military records and fellow soldiers’ testimony. The detailed spying adventures are less secure: official records do not corroborate them, and her memoir contains fictionalized material.
Her memoir describes disguises that included a Black man, a washerwoman, and an Irish peddler. These are accounts she published about herself, rather than independently verified missions.
Leaving Military Service
Eventually, Sarah’s military career came to an end when she contracted malaria, which was a common ailment among the soldiers on both sides. Instead of admitting herself to a military hospital, where she was concerned her identity as a woman would be discovered, she deserted the Army and checked herself into a private hospital as a female. Sarah said later that she intended to return to the Army once she recovered, but when she did recover, she saw posters with her image as a male on them, and her assumed name, wanting her capture for desertion. Concerned she might be executed for desertion if she returned as Franklin Thompson, and not wanting to risk taking on a new male identity and being recognized, Sarah served as a female nurse at a hospital in Washington, D.C. for wounded soldiers for the rest of the war.
Memoirs and Life After the War
Once the war was over, Sarah began talking openly about her experiences as a male soldier and revealed herself to the public. Soldiers who had served with her described her as a good soldier and spoke very highly of her and her service in the war. They also described her as brave, and as an active participant in every battle in which her regiment engaged.
Sarah’s account appeared as Nurse and Spy in the Union Army in 1865 and became a popular book. Its success helped spread her story, but readers should distinguish the documented soldier from the embellished adventures in the memoir.
Eventually, Sarah did decide to marry, on her own terms and when she was good and ready, in 1867, to Linnus H. Seelye, a Canadian mechanic. They had three children together, but all three died as babies or small children. Still desiring to be a mother, Sarah and Linnus eventually adopted two sons.
A Pension and Lasting Recognition
Congress granted Sarah a pension of $12 a month in 1884. Separate legislation in 1886 removed the desertion charge, allowing her to receive back pay and a bounty. In 1897, she joined the Grand Army of the Republic, an unusual recognition for a woman who had served in the Civil War.
Sarah died in La Porte, Texas, in 1898 and was initially buried locally. In 1901, her remains were moved to Washington Cemetery in Houston and reburied with military honors. She was inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame in 1992.
Learn More
For a closer look at the evidence and historical context, explore these resources:
You can also read The Unsung Heroes of the Civil War (free eBook) and explore our Civil War records guide.
