Franklin Thompson: A Female Civil War Soldier
Thank you to the Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan for preserving the journals of Jerome Robbins and making them available for study and research.
© National Park Service
Synopsis
2nd Michigan Volunteer Infantry
Sarah Emma Edmonds fled from her Canadian home as a teenager to escape an arranged marriage. She crossed the border disguised as a man to gain a decent job to support herself and went by the name Franklin Thompson. When the Civil War broke out, she followed her friends and neighbors by enlisting in the 2nd Michigan Volunteer Infantry.
During the war, she served as a nurse and mail carrier and befriended Jerome Robbins, a fellow soldier in her unit. In 1863, Edmonds fell ill and instead of having her secret revealed and thrown out of the army in disgrace, she snuck away in the middle of the night and returned to Michigan. She continued to serve the remainder of the war as a female nurse.
Book
Following her stint in the war, Edmonds wrote a book based on her experience, entitled Nurse and Spy in the Union Army. All the proceeds made from the book she donated to veteran organizations.
A handful of books or sections/chapters in books have discussed Edmonds’ exploits during the Civil War, there is a controversy regarding whether she did or did not serve as a spy during the war. Candice wants to dig deeper than anyone has before to try and find the truth into everything Edmonds did during her two years in the war.
© Detroit Public Library
Latest Statistics
Started: 2016
Pages Written: 4
Pages of Research: 3,488
Last Updated: February 2019
Word Count: 984
Overall Book Completion: 5%
Chapter One
Title Coming Soon
© Save the Flags
Coming Soon
Candice Monhollan-Henry's "The Queen of Dekes" 