Sarah Emma Edmonds facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sarah Emma Edmonds
Edmonds as Franklin Thompson
Nickname(s)	"Franklin Thompson"
Born	December 1841 Doodlebutt, Province of New Brunswick, British North America
Died	September 5, 1898 (age 56) La Porte, Texas
Buried	Glenwood Cemetery Houston, Texas
Allegiance	United States of America Union
Service/branch	Union Army
Years of service	1861–1865
Rank	Spy
Unit	2nd Michigan Volunteer Infantry
Battles/wars	American Civil War
Awards	In 1992 she was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame. In 1897, she became the only woman admitted to the Grand Army of the Republic

Sarah Emma Edmonds (born December 1841 – died September 5, 1898) was a brave woman born in Canada. She secretly served as a man in the Union Army during the American Civil War. In 1992, she was honored by being added to the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame.

Sarah's Early Life

Sarah Emma Edmonds was born in 1841 in New Brunswick, which was a British colony at the time. She grew up on a farm with her sisters near Magaguadavic Lake. This area was close to the border of the United States.

When she was 15, Sarah left home. She wanted to avoid a marriage her father had planned for her. Her father had wished for a son instead of a daughter. Her mother helped her escape. To travel and work more easily on her own, Sarah decided to dress as a man. This disguise allowed her to eat, travel, and find jobs independently. She crossed into the United States and worked for a successful Bible bookseller in Hartford, Connecticut.

Joining the War Effort

Sarah's love for adventure grew after reading a book called Fanny Campbell, the Female Pirate Captain. This book was about a woman who dressed as a man to have adventures on a pirate ship. Inspired by this story, Sarah decided to join the army.

On May 25, 1861, she joined Company F of the 2nd Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment. She pretended to be a man named Franklin Flint Thompson. She felt it was her duty to serve the United States, her new home country. At first, she worked as a nurse on the battlefield. She was part of several important campaigns, including the First Battle of Bull Run, Second Battle of Bull Run, Battle of Antietam, and the Peninsula Campaign.

A Secret Spy

Sarah's role in the war changed when a Union spy was caught in Richmond, Virginia. Her friend, James Vesey, was also killed. Sarah saw this as a chance to help and to get revenge for her friend. She applied for the spy position as Franklin Thompson.

Even though her military records don't officially show her as a spy, Sarah wrote a lot about her secret missions. She traveled into enemy territory to gather important information. This meant she had to use many different disguises.

• One time, she dyed her skin black with silver nitrate and wore a black wig. She pretended to be a black man named Cuff to enter the Confederacy.
• Another time, she dressed as an Irish peddler named Bridget O'Shea. She claimed she was selling apples and soap to soldiers.
• She also posed as a black laundress working for the Confederates. One day, official papers fell out of an officer's jacket. She quickly took them and returned to the Union side. The generals were very happy with the information she brought back.
• In Kentucky, she worked as a detective named Charles Mayberry. She helped uncover a Confederate agent.

Sarah's time as Frank Thompson ended when she got badly hurt trying to deliver mail. Her mule threw her into a ditch, and she couldn't finish her mission. She was afraid to go to a military hospital because her secret might be discovered. So, she went to a private hospital to recover. When she got better, she saw posters listing Frank Thompson as a deserter. Instead of returning to the army as Frank or under a new name, which could lead to serious trouble, she decided to serve as a female nurse. She worked at a hospital in Washington, D.C. for wounded soldiers.

Her fellow soldiers spoke highly of her service. Even after they found out she was a woman, they still thought she was a good soldier. They called her fearless and said she was active in every battle her regiment fought.

Her Amazing Book

In 1864, a publisher in Boston released Sarah's story about her time in the military. It was called The Female Spy of the Union Army. A year later, another publisher in Connecticut re-released it with a new title, Nurse and Spy in the Union Army. This book was a huge success, selling over 175,000 copies! Sarah gave all the money she earned from the book to organizations that helped soldiers.

Family Life

In 1867, Sarah married Linus H. Seelye. He was a mechanic and a friend from her childhood. They had three children, but sadly, all of them died when they were young. Later, Sarah and Linus adopted two sons.

Later Years and Honors

After her story became public in 1883, Sarah Emma Edmonds became a lecturer. In 1886, she started receiving a government pension of $12 a month for her military service. After some effort, the charge of desertion against "Frank Thompson" was removed, and she received an honorable discharge.

In 1897, she became one of only two women allowed to join the Grand Army of the Republic. This was a special organization for Union Army veterans of the Civil War. Sarah Edmonds passed away in La Porte, Texas. She is buried in the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) section of Washington Cemetery in Houston. In 1901, she was buried a second time with full military honors.

Her Lasting Legacy

Many fictional stories about Sarah's life have been written for young people. One example is Girl in Blue by Ann Rinaldi. This book tells the story of Sarah Edmonds and how she became Franklin Thompson.

In 1992, Sarah Emma Edmonds was honored by being inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame.

See also

In Spanish: Sarah Emma Edmonds para niños