Born December 1841
New Brunswick, Canada
Died September 5, 1889
La Porte, Texas

Union soldier, nurse, and spy

Disguised herself as a man to
serve in the Union Army

"I am naturally fond of adventure, a little ambitious, and a good deal romantic—but patriotism was the true secret of my success."

Emma Edmonds. (Courtesy of Corbis Corporation.)

Historians estimate that more than four hundred women disguised themselves as men in order to serve as either Union or Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. Of all these women, Emma Edmonds was the most remarkable. Adopting the name "Franklin Thompson," she joined the Union Army early in the war and served for two years without revealing her true identity. She started out as a battlefield nurse, then made eleven successful missions behind Confederate lines as a spy. Edmonds used a variety of disguises during her spy missions. For example, she...