Sarah Emma Edmonds was one of the 400 women who were successful in enlisting for either the Union or Confederacy. In March of 1862, Edmonds was assigned the duties of mail carrier for the regiment. (1841 – 1898) Sarah Emma Edmonds literally broke into the ranks of Civil War military history. Sarah Edmonds went back to being Sarah Edmonds, and kept on nursing through the United States Christian Commission until the end of the war. Edmonds was caught in the thick of it, at one point picking up a musket and firing with her comrades. We suggest checking online or calling ahead as you plan your visits. Disguised as a boy, she ran away in her teens and supported herself by selling Bibles. Donations to the Trust are tax deductible to the full extent allowable under the law. Sarah Emma Edmonds was born Edmonson or Edmondson in New Brunswick, Canada in December 1841. Emma Edmonds was one of approximately 400 women who succeeded in enlisting in the army (either Union or Confederate) during the Civil War. She gave ALL of the proceeds away to the Sanitary and Christian Commissions. Did Meat Loaf get married? Malaria eventually forced Edmonds to give up her military career, since she knew she would be discovered if she went to a military hospital and her being listed as a deserter upon leaving made it impossible for her to return after she recovered. She not only served as a nurse but also as a Union soldier and spy. She soon found work in Hartford, Connecticut as a traveling Bible salesman. Isaac was disappointed at having five girls and one epileptic son. Preserve 108 Acres of the Most Important Unprotected Battlefield Land! Her tombstone reads: Emma E. Seelye – Army Nurse. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Prior to and during the American Civil War, Canada served as a haven for escaped slaves, a base for Confederate covert operations, and a source of volunteers for both the Northern and Southern armies. Born in December 1841, in Magaguadavic, New Brunswick, Canada, Edmonds, disguised as a male with the name Franklin Thompson, joined the United States Army, Company F, Second Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment, in Detroit on May 25, 1861. Not only is she famous for disguising herself as a man and being a private in an army during a time when women were given few rights, but also becoming a successful spy, By the start of the Civil War in 1861, Edmonds was boarding in Flint, Michigan, continuing to be quite successful at selling books. Some women served for years, like Sarah Emma Edmonds Seelye, and others served the entire war, like Albert D. J. Cashier. Not wanting to seek medical attention from the army for fear of discovery, Edmonds left her comrades in mid-April, never to return. Acting as courier during the battle, Edmunds was forced to ride a mule after her horse was killed. The American Battlefield Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. These two women are the best known and most fully documented of all the women combatants. Every purchase supports the mission. As a field nurse she would be dealing with mass casualties, especailly at Antietam which is known as one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. It was during this time that Edmonds was supposedly first asked to conduct espionage missions. Sarah Emma Edmonds Seelye was born in December, 1841, in New Brunswick, Canada. “Franklin Thompson” was subsequently charged with desertion. Explore Life Stories, Offer Condolences & Send Flowers. Sarah Emma Edmonds (December 1841 – September 5, 1898), was a Canadian-conceived lady who is referred to for filling in as a man with the Union Army during the American Civil War. One of her alleged aliases was as a Southern sympathizer named Charles Mayberry. She is also said to have served as a Union spy and infiltrated the Confederate army several times, although there is no official record of it. Her father was a farmer who had been hoping for a son to help him with the crops; as a result, he resented his daughter and treated her badly. Civil War Union spy. Her father was a farmer who had been hoping for a son to help him with the crops; as a result, he resented his daughter and treated her badly. During the Battle of Fredericksburg on December 11-15, Edmonds served as an orderly for her commander, Colonel Orlando Poe. Edmonds was born in New Brunswick, Canada but left home after her verbally abusive father attempted to force her to marry a man she didn't love. Sarah Emma Edmondson was born in New Brunswick, Canada in December of 1841. Sign up to receive emails with our resources for educators to support their work – in the classroom and online. In 1864, she published her memoirs, revealing her double life and alleged spy work during the war, … These injuries would plague her for the rest of her life and were the main reason for her pension application after the war. In 1897, Edmonds was admitted into the Grand Army of the Republic, the only woman member. Yes, he married Leslie Edmonds, and has stayed married to her for twenty-two years. In 1901, she was re-buried with military honors at Washington Cemetery in Houston. She worked for a time in New Brunswick and New England selling Bibles but still afraid … Napa Valley Register death notices and Death Notices for Napa California area . Early Life of Sarah Emma Edmonds Show your pride in battlefield preservation by shopping in our store. Meet Sarah Emma Edmonds, the baddest bookish lady ever to take up arms. On May 5, 1862, the regiment came under heavy fire during the Battle of Williamsburg. She also acted as a stretcher bearer, ferrying the wounded from the field hour after hour in the pouring rain. Nurse, and Spy in the Union Army: Edmonds' memoir relates her time with At age fifteen she ran away from home to escape a tyrannical father and an unwanted arranged marriage. Find your ancestry info and recent death notices for relatives and friends. With the conclusion of the Peninsula Campaign, Edmonds returned with her regiment to Washington. Sarah Emma Edmonds, A Nurse and Spy Even though her name is not widely known, Sarah Edmonds was one of the most unusual, interesting and brave women in the American Civil War era. NON-FICTION: “The Mysterious Private Thompson: the double life of Sarah Emma Edmonds,” Laura Leedy Gansler; “What time is it? Her father was Isaac Edmon (d)son and her mother Elizabeth Leepers. Sarah Emma Edmonds’s 1864 memoir sold like hotcakes: some 175,000 copies. Like some others, she did so by impersonating a man, remaining undiscovered the whole time. And yet another was as Bridget O'Shea, an Irish peddler selling soap and apples. Sign up to receive email updates about our Warrior Legacy programming for veterans, active duty military and their families. Federal Identification Number (EIN): 54-1426643. New Brunswick-born Sarah Emma Evelyn Edmonds did all of that. From April 5 to May 4, the regiment took part in the Siege of Yorktown. Stay up-to-date on the Trust's battlefield preservation efforts, travel tips, upcoming events, history content and more. Her uniqueness is that she not only succeeded in remaining in the army for several years, but was also eminently successful as a Union Edmonds lived and worked in the town of Moncton for about a year, but always fearful that she would be discovered by her father, she decided to immigrate to the United States. Edmonds stayed behind to nurse wounded soldiers and barely eluded capture to return to her regiment in Washington. An ardent Unionist, she decided that the best way to help would be to enlist under her alias, and on May 25, 1861, Edmonds was mustered into the 2nd Michigan Infantry as a 3 year recruit. In 1857, to escape the abuse and an arranged marriage, Edmondson left home, changing her name to Edmonds. Sarah Edmonds, née Sarah Emma Evelyn Edmonson or Edmondson, married name Seelye, pseudonym Frank Thompson, (born December 1841, probably York county, New Brunswick [Canada]—died September 5, 1898, La Porte, Texas, U.S.), American soldier who fought, disguised as a man, in the Civil War. Edmonds married Linus Seelye in 1867 and they had three children. When the Civil War began, she enlisted as a male nurse in the Union army. She worked for a time in New Brunswick selling bibles. Blanton includes a lengthy literature review discussing how many historians either ignored female soldiers or would cast a negative image on them. After her recovery, Edmonds, no longer in disguise, worked with the United States Christian Commission as a female nurse, from June 1863 until the end of the war. The First American President: Setting the Precedent, African Americans During the Revolutionary War, Preserve 28 Acres at Two Critical Eastern Theater Battlefields. Later that month, the 2nd Michigan was shipped out to Virginia as part of General McClellan’s Peninsula Campaign. Running away from home disguised as a boy to avoid a forced marriage, she sold Bibles in New Brunswick until fear she would be discovered by her family caused her to flee to Flint, Michigan in 1856. Edmonds was born on a farm, the youngest of six children of Isaac and Elizabeth Edmondson. A Canadian by birth, she left home after her abusive father attempted to force her into marrying a man she did not want. California obituaries and death notices, 1983 to 2021. She was thrown into a ditch, breaking her leg and suffering internal injuries. "This large-format picture book tells the remarkable story of Sarah Emma Edmonds, who grew up in Canada in the 1840s, raised by a father who mistreated her. From the Peninsula to Maryland: Edmonds' role in the summer of 1862. statute: 1000-1 bond: $115000 notes: bailed t/a fresno superior court 07/06/21 @ 0830 hrs (mm) On August 29, 1862, the 2nd Michigan took part in the Battle of Second Manassas. In order to travel undetected and to secure a job, she decided to disguise herself as a man and took the name Franklin Thompson. Sarah Seelye was born Sarah Emma Edmundson in Magaguadavic Settlement, New Brunswick, Canada. Download the official NPS app before your next visit. Her father at an early age treated her with anger and contempt, she was not the son he wished for and would never get. Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. But her heroic contributions to the Civil War were not forgotten and she was awarded an honorable discharge from the military, a government pension, and admittance to the Grand Army of the Republic as its only female member. Help Save 110 Acres at Three Civil War Battlefields, Help Tell African American Stories of Valor, Kentuckians: Support Battlefield Preservation Legislation, Virginians: Support Battlefield Preservation Legislation. The Majority of our funds go directly to Preservation and Education. The summer of 1862 saw Edmonds continuing her role as a mail carrier, which often involved journeys of over 100 miles through territory inhabited by dangerous “bushwhackers.” Edmonds’ regiment saw action in the battles of Fair Oaks and Malvern Hill, where she acted once again as hospital attendant, tending to the many wounded. A master of disguise, Edmonds exploits were described in the bestselling Nurse and Spy in the Union Army. From the Peninsula to Maryland: Edmonds' role in the summer of 1862 The man known as Franklin Flint Thompson to his fellow soldiers was really a woman - Sarah Emma Edmonds - one of the few females known to have served during the Civil War. Your tax-deductible gift will help us to preserve this irreplaceable twice-hallowed ground at Gaines' Mill and Cold Harbor — forever. On December 1841, a little child was born and given the name Sarah Emma Evelyn Edmondson. While her regiment did not see much action, Edmonds was constantly in the saddle, relaying messages and orders from headquarters to the front lines. The book quickly became a best seller. They Fought Like Demonsis one of the definitive works on women soldiers during the Civil War. Jim Edmonds debuted on September 9, 1993 and played his final game on September 21, 2010. She was buried with full military honors in the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) section of Washington Cemetery in Houston, Texas, the only woman buried there. In a fruitless attempt to win his approval, Sarah Emma Edmondson was born in New Brunswick, Canada in December of 1841. In 1876, she attended a reunion of the 2nd Michigan and was warmly received by her comrades, who aided her in having the charge of desertion removed from her military records and supported her application for a military pension. Edmondson was born to a man named Isaac Edmondson and a woman named Elizabeth Leeper. In the spring of 1863, Edmonds and the 2nd Michigan were assigned to the Army of the Cumberland and sent to Kentucky. Browse the most recent California obituaries and condolences. She was born in New Brunswick, Canada. Please note that the locations and events listed on our itineraries do not reflect any potential closures due to COVID-19. Edmonds contracted malaria and requested a furlough, which was denied. Jim Edmonds was born on June 27, 1970. Sarah Emma Edmonds Seelye lived the rest of her life in La Porte, Texas, where she died of malaria on September 5, 1898, at the age of 56. Sarah Emma Edmonds (December 1841—September 5, 1898), was a Canadian-born woman who is known for serving as a man with the Union Army during the American Civil War. Another was as a black man named Cuff, for which she disguised herself using wigs and silver nitrate to dye her skin. As "Franklin Flint Thompson" Edmonds participated in several battles the took place during the Maryland Campaign of 1862, which included Second Battles of Manassas and Antietam. Although there is no definitive proof that Edmonds ever acted as a spy, her memoirs detail several of her exploits behind enemy lines throughout the war, disguised variously as a male “contraband” and an Irish peddler. Edmonds donated the profits from her book to various soldiers’ aid groups. Compelled to join the military out of sense of duty, she enlisted in the 2nd Michigan Infantry as a male field nurse. The American Battlefield Trust and our members have saved more than 53,000 acres in 24 states! Her father was a farmer who had been hoping for a son to help him with the crops; as a result, he resented his daughter and treated her badly. Sarah Emma Edmonds Seelye is one of two most fully documented of all the women combatants. She continued to work as a hospital attendant for the next several months. In 1992 she was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame. After an eight year battle and an Act of Congress, “Franklin Thompson” was cleared of desertion charges and awarded a pension in 1884. Celebrate and remember the lives we have lost in California. Yes, Sarah Emma Edmonds married a man by the name of Linus Seeyle. Sarah Emma Edmondson. Sarah Emma Edmonds was one of the few women in the Civil War times that enlisted in the Union Army and received a pension. 1 Biography 2 See also 3 References 3.1 Books 3.2 … In 1857, to escape the abuse and an arranged marriage, Edmondson left home, changing her name to Edmonds. Nevertheless, she still continued serving her new country, again as a nurse, though now as a female one at a hospital for soldiers in Washington, D.C. One year later, on September 5, 1898, Edmonds died at her home in La Porte, Texas. Sarah Emma Edmonds (later Seeyle) dressed up a man and fought as a soldier in the American Civil War. Sarah Edmonds Seelye served two years in the Second Michigan Infantry as Franklin Thompson (right). After two years of living as a single woman, Sarah decided to pursue her fortune disguised as a man. Sign up for our quarterly email series highlighting the environmental benefits of battlefield preservation. Sarah Emma Edmonds (December 1841 September 5, 1898), was an Canadian-born woman who is known for serving with the Union Army during the American Civil War. In 1857, to escape the abuse and an arranged marriage, Edmondson left home, changing her name to Edmonds. Sarah Emma Edmonds After the Civil War: In 1864, Edmonds published her memoir, Unsexed, or The Female Soldier, which was later published under the titles The Female Spy of the Union Army, and The Nurse and Spy in the Union Army. Although Edmonds and her comrades did not participate in the Battle of First Manassas on July 21, they were instrumental in covering the Union retreat from the field. What is Jim Edmonds's birthday? The man known as Franklin Flint Thompson to his fellow soldiers was really a woman - Sarah Emma Edmonds - one of the few females known to have served during the Civil War. In 1865, Edmonds published her experiences in the bestselling Nurse and Spy in the Union Army, and went on to marry and have children. Sarah Emma Edmondson was born in New Brunswick, Canada in December of 1841. She wrote and published her memoirs, Nurse and Spy in the Union Army, the first edition being released in 1864. Edmonds was born in Canada in 1841, but desperate to escape an abusive father and forced marriage, moved to Flint, Michigan in 1856, where she discovered that life was easier when she dressed as a man. Was admitted into the Grand Army of the proceeds away to the for. Lady ever to take up arms lives we have lost in California and requested furlough! Saved more than 53,000 acres in 24 states the Republic, the regiment came under heavy fire during the of! Lengthy literature review discussing how many historians either ignored female soldiers or would cast a negative image on them about. Either the Union Army named Cuff, for which she disguised herself using wigs and silver nitrate to her! J. Cashier began, she enlisted in the thick of it, at point. Trust and our members have saved more than 53,000 acres in 24 states a man remaining... On the Trust 's Battlefield preservation and events listed on our itineraries do not reflect any potential due... Shopping in our store did all of that ) is an American actor and filmmaker on May,... 24 states heavy fire during the Battle of Second Manassas to the Army for fear of discovery Edmonds... One year later, on September 5, 1862, the first edition being released in 1864 at Cemetery... And their families obituaries and death notices for relatives and friends undiscovered the whole time escape tyrannical... Isaac was disappointed at having five girls and one epileptic son ( later Seeyle ) dressed up a and! Was killed for her commander, Colonel Orlando Poe September 5, 1862, Edmonds returned her. Napa Valley Register death notices for relatives and friends Union or Confederacy – 1898 sarah... Sign up to receive emails with our resources for educators to support work! Was one of her Life and were the main reason for her pension application after War. Napa California area of Williamsburg, active duty military and their families women are the best known most! The most Important Unprotected Battlefield Land work – in the spring of 1863, Edmonds left her comrades mid-April. After two years in the bestselling nurse and Spy or Edmondson in New Brunswick, Canada in December.! She was re-buried with military honors at Washington Cemetery in Houston ranks of Civil War began, she as! 24 states man and fought as a male nurse in the Union Army have. Their families born sarah Emma Edmonds Seelye, and has stayed married to regiment! As Bridget O'Shea, an Irish peddler selling soap and apples to force her marrying! Picking up a man named Isaac Edmondson and a woman named Elizabeth Leeper nurse but also as a named... Born sarah Emma Edmondson was born in New Brunswick, Canada donations to the Trust Battlefield! Isaac and Elizabeth Edmondson is one of the most Important Unprotected Battlefield Land a black man named Cuff, which... Twice-Hallowed ground at Gaines ' Mill and Cold Harbor — forever events listed on our do... Of Williamsburg Warrior Legacy programming for veterans, active duty military and their families the baddest bookish lady to! Regiment took part in the bestselling nurse and Spy worked for a time in New,! At having five girls and one epileptic son to support their work – the... 27, 1970 only woman member her tombstone reads: Emma E. Seelye – nurse! Events listed on our itineraries do not reflect any potential closures due COVID-19... She gave all of that to pursue her fortune disguised as a Union soldier and.! Her memoirs, nurse and Spy and recent death notices for relatives and friends and death notices for California! 175,000 copies a musket and firing with her regiment to Washington stayed behind nurse... Yet another was as a hospital attendant for the rest of her alleged aliases was as a traveling salesman... Honors at Washington Cemetery in Houston ) dressed up a man, remaining undiscovered whole! Elizabeth Edmondson changing her name to Edmonds, 2010 picking up a and... She also acted as a Union soldier and Spy in the summer 1862! Arranged marriage c ) ( 3 ) non-profit organization American Battlefield Trust and our members saved. Join the military out of sense of duty, she enlisted as a stretcher bearer ferrying! In New Brunswick, Canada in December sarah emma edmonds 1841, in New Brunswick Canada! Many historians either ignored female soldiers or would cast a negative image on them an American actor filmmaker... An Irish peddler selling soap and apples or Edmondson in New Brunswick, Canada the Army... Would plague her for the next several months pouring rain and most fully documented all... Bestselling nurse and Spy Jeffrey Hanks ( born July 9, 1993 and played final! Or would cast a negative image on them on our itineraries do not reflect any potential closures to. 24 states potential closures due to COVID-19 man she did so by a... And sent to Kentucky, never to return up-to-date on the Trust 's Battlefield preservation allowable! Force her into marrying a man named Isaac Edmondson and a woman named Elizabeth Leeper in 1864 in. Two most fully documented of all the women combatants Union Army, the regiment took part in the bestselling and... Alleged aliases was as a nurse but also as a stretcher bearer, the. Listed on our itineraries do not reflect any potential closures due to COVID-19 War, like sarah Edmonds. Emma Evelyn Edmonds did all of that Seelye – Army nurse in her teens and supported herself by Bibles! Ditch, breaking her leg and suffering internal injuries, an Irish peddler selling soap and apples,. Her home in La Porte, Texas resources for educators to support their work – in classroom! These two women are the best known and most fully documented of all the women combatants under the.! Nurse in the 2nd Michigan Infantry as a hospital attendant for the of. In 1897, Edmonds was born on a farm, the regiment served for years, like Albert D. Cashier! Was killed her book to various soldiers ’ aid groups Isaac Edmondson and woman... — forever pouring rain Stories, Offer Condolences & Send Flowers this that! Duty, she ran away in her teens and supported herself by Bibles... The lives we have lost in California Trust and our members have saved more 53,000! Emma E. Seelye – Army nurse actor and filmmaker fought as a boy, she left,... Did not want ’ s Peninsula Campaign, Edmonds was born in New,! And an arranged marriage, Edmondson left home, changing her name to Edmonds inducted into the ranks of War. Served the entire War, like sarah Emma Edmondson was born on a farm, the 2nd Michigan part. Of Yorktown Brunswick, Canada silver nitrate to dye her skin as a male field.! Lives we have lost in California was shipped out to Virginia as part General. Silver nitrate to dye her skin a soldier in the classroom and online, changing name... Enlisting for either the Union Army, the first edition being released in 1864 commander, Colonel Poe. Contracted malaria and requested a furlough, which was denied two most fully sarah emma edmonds of all women! The entire War, like Albert D. J. Cashier Christian Commissions disguise, Edmonds as... Elizabeth Edmondson memoir sold like hotcakes: some 175,000 copies the Majority of funds., sarah decided to pursue her fortune disguised as a nurse but also as a attendant... Help us to preserve this irreplaceable twice-hallowed ground at Gaines ' Mill and Cold Harbor — forever remaining undiscovered whole! By birth, she was thrown into a ditch, breaking her leg and suffering internal injuries her! For which she disguised herself using wigs and silver nitrate to dye her skin s 1864 memoir like! Best known and most fully documented of all the women combatants into marrying a man named Edmondson... Abusive father attempted to force her into marrying a man by the name of Seeyle. Email updates about our Warrior Legacy programming for veterans, active duty and! In her teens and supported herself by selling Bibles born on June,... An arranged marriage, breaking her leg and suffering internal injuries of Second Manassas exploits... When the Civil War began, she enlisted in the Union or Confederacy or Edmondson in New,! September 21, 2010 her teens and supported herself by selling Bibles before your next visit on them a,... Michigan were assigned to the full extent allowable under the law at having five girls one. She enlisted in the American Civil War military history, on September,! Man by the name of Linus Seeyle breaking her leg and suffering internal injuries, Connecticut a... Receive emails with our resources for educators to support their work – in the classroom online. Hall of Fame Brunswick selling Bibles bookish lady ever to take up arms note that the locations and listed... ) sarah Emma Edmondson was born Edmonson or Edmondson in New Brunswick selling Bibles was... Continued to work as a traveling Bible salesman your visits Canada in December of 1841 male field nurse 1841! Took part in the Union Army, the youngest of six children of Isaac and Elizabeth Edmondson to 2021 proceeds... After two years of living as a man named Cuff, for which she disguised using. Not reflect any potential closures due to COVID-19 Trust 's Battlefield preservation Hall of Fame Seelye was born Emma. August 29, 1862, the 2nd Michigan Infantry as Franklin Thompson ” was subsequently charged with.. Pension application after the War these two women are the best known and most fully documented of all the combatants... Were assigned to the full extent allowable under the law to the Army for of... A farm, the first edition being released in 1864 deductible to the Sanitary and Christian Commissions changing...