Civil War Secrets: Sarah Emma Edmonds

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History records several women who served as soldiers during the Civil War. One such woman, disguised as a man, served as a private in the Union Army and eventually added additional disguises to move freely behind enemy lines.

Sarah Emma Edmonds lived a large part of her life as Franklin Thompson, first as a Bible salesman, then as a soldier and nurse, but also as a spy.

Sarah’s life began in a home where she was reportedly resented by her father for having been born female and was on the verge of being forced into an undesirable arranged marriage.

In a bold move that was considered very uncharacteristic for women of that period, Sarah chose to take control of her own life and left home, changing her last name from Edmondson to Edmonds in the process.

Eventually, she found herself in the United States living as a man, Franklin Thompson, to earn an income and support herself. When she heard there was a need for soldiers in the Union Army, she determined this was her calling and became a private in the Union Army.

Discover many of the details about her service as a male private in the Union Army as you read about Sarah Emma Edmonds.