At the age of 16, Sarah Edmonds ran away from home to escape a marriage her father had arranged.
She cut off her curly brown hair, put on men's attire, left for the the United States and, after disguising herself as book salesman Frank Thompson for two years she joined the Union army.
She had no physical examination, and she looked and walked like a boy. She had a deep voice and was flat-chested...and could easily slip away to bathe on her own. She also slept in her own pup tent, like others.
Canadian by birth, served two years in the 2nd Michigan Infantry regiment, enlisting on May 25th 1861.
"He" was the regimental nurse and despatch carrier.
Her regiment fought at first Manassas, Fredericksburg and Antietam.
While serving she caught Malaria and decided to desert, for fear of being discovered as a woman while being in hospital.
She later married Linus Seelye and had 3 children.She was later cleared of her desertion and she received a pension for her efforts in the war.
She died in Texas in September of 1898. |
