Summary:
The biography of Sarah Emma Edmonds, who was born in Canada, but left home to join the Civil War as Frank Thompson. She was the first and only woman to become a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. Sarah aided her country by putting her life on the line and entering enemy camps disguised as a slave, and an irish washer woman to gain knowledge of Confederate movement.

Details or Sample:
McClellan sent out word that he was looking for a spy. Private Frank Thompson (Emma) volunteered for the position. She studied local geography, weaponry, military strategy and military personalities. When McClellan interviewed her, he was so impressed with her knowledge that he immediately gave her the job.

Emma needed a disguise. She decided to enlist in the Confederate Army as a black man. The wife of a local chaplain helped her dye her skin with silver nitrate. She dressed in men"s clothing, wore a minstrel"s wig, and called herself, "Cuff."

When Emma reached the Confederate front, she was assigned to work on the ramparts that were being built by local black men. At the end of the day her hands were bloody and blistered. She switched jobs with a slave. The second day she worked in the kitchen. She learned the size of the army, how many weapons they had, and learned of the "Quaker Guns" (logs painted black to look like cannons from a distance) that the Confederates planned to use at Yorktown.

The next day Emma was assigned picket duty. She escaped and rejoined the Union Army. The information she took back impressed McClellan. He gave her a personal interview. She then returned to her duties as a male nurse.

Two month later, Emma received orders to return to the Confederate lines. She knew she couldn"t return as "Cuff," since he was a deserter. She assumed the identity of an Iris peddler woman. Her name was Bridge O" Shea.

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Written by: Mary M. Alward
Available File Types:Text
Words: 950