Women Soldiers in the Civil War: Sarah Edmonds

 

Historians estimate that between 400 and 1,000 women—on both Union and Confederate sides—disguised themselves as men to enlist and fight in the American Civil War.

Many served undetected for months or years, participating in major battles, enduring camp life, and facing the same risks as their male comrades.

One of the best-documented and most celebrated is Sarah Emma Edmonds (1841 to 1898). Born in Canada, she fled an abusive home and lived as a man before the war. In 1861, she enlisted in the 2nd Michigan Infantry as Private Franklin Thompson.

Edmonds served as a nurse, mail carrier, and spy. She participated in key campaigns, including First Bull Run, the Peninsula Campaign, Fredericksburg, and Antietam. She deserted in 1863 after contracting malaria, fearing discovery in a hospital. After the war, she married, had children, and successfully petitioned for a veteran's pension in 1886—the only woman known to receive one for Civil War service.

The Confederate Woman: Soldier and Spy

Women Doctors in the Civil War