She escaped an arranged marriage, reinvented herself as a man, joined the Union Army, and spent nearly two years serving under a name no one suspected belonged to a woman.
Story of Emma Edmonds, Civil War Spy traces the extraordinary life of Sarah Emma Edmonds, the Canadian-born woman who became “Franklin Thompson” and served with the 2nd Michigan Infantry during the American Civil War.
From First Bull Run and the Peninsula Campaign to Second Bull Run and Fredericksburg, Edmonds worked as a soldier, nurse, mail carrier, courier, and orderly while guarding a secret that could have ended her military career instantly.
But her famous story is more complicated than legend suggests.
This biography separates documented history from Edmonds’s own dramatic claims, examining both the remarkable service confirmed by military records and the espionage episodes later historians have questioned.
Inside, discover:
• How a difficult childhood and arranged marriage pushed Edmonds toward reinvention
• How she created and sustained the identity of Franklin Thompson
• Her experiences during some of the Civil War’s defining campaigns
• Her work caring for wounded Union soldiers under dangerous conditions
• The truth behind her celebrated disguises and alleged spy missions
• Why she was listed as a deserter—and how she eventually cleared her name
• Her remarkable recognition as one of the very few women admitted to the Grand Army of the Republic
Carefully researched and candid about where evidence ends and legend begins, this is the story of a woman whose documented courage is every bit as compelling as the mythology that grew around her.