She drew on her experience as a traveling book seller to pose as an irish peddler woman named bridget oshea selling goods to confederate soldiers behind enemy lines. Sarah emma edmonds interest in adventure was sparked by a book she read in her youth by maturin murray ballou called fanny campbell, the. Sarah emma edmonds the story of a reallife mulan youtube. You can read her story in full in my book wonder women, but i thought i would share with you my quick coles notes on one of the most badass nerdy babes in history, supplemented by original ephemera from michigan in letters. Her uniqueness is that she not only succeeded in remaining in the army for several years, but was also eminently successful as a union spyall while impersonating a man.
Emma edmonds is a real girl who was 21 years old when she joined the civil war dressed as a man. Mar 30, 2020 sarah emma edmonds disguised herself as a man to serve as a soldier and a spy. 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. Sarah emma edmonds started pretending at a very early age. War in 1861, edmonds was boarding in flint, michigan, continuing to be quite successful at selling books. While many would think that as a lady she would be involved in the war effort, sarah emma edmonds actually served in the united states army. With the help of her mother, she left home to travel to the united states where disguised as a boy, she found employment selling bibles and other books in. Sarah emma edmonds, union soldier, spy, and nurse secret. She was born sarah emma edmondson into a remote new brunswick community called magaguadavic say that ten times fast. The double life of sarah emma edmonds, civil war soldier laura leedy gansler, author. Some of the writing could have been a little less boring but the story was good. You can read her story in full in my book wonder women, but i thought i would share with you my quick coles notes on one of the most badass nerdy babes in history, supplemented by original ephemera from michigan in letters, collections. With the help of her mother, she left home to travel to the united states where disguised as a boy, she found employment selling bibles and other books in new england. Discover book depositorys huge selection of sarah emma evelyn edmonds books online.
United states history civil war, 18611865 hospitals. Jun 09, 2017 as the lone canadian in wonder women, sarah emma edmonds has a special place in my heart and hopefully in yours, once you hear about her amazing exploits. There were not many opportunities for a young woman to support herself, consequently, edmonds dressed as a man and took the name of franklin thompson. Sarah emma edmonds had to disguise herself to help fight the civil war, while clara barton was the first female nurse allowed on the battlefield. Sarah emma edmonds 18411898 sarah emma edmonds was one of the 400 women who were successful in enlisting for either the union or confederacy. Sarah emma edmonds 18411898 emma edmonds was one of approximately 400 women who succeeded in enlisting in the army either union or confederate during the civil war. When sarah emma edmonds was a little girl growing up in new brunswick, canada, she read a book called fanny campbell, the female pirate captain. From spies and spymasters of the civil war by donald e. Discover book depositorys huge selection of sarah edmonds books online. The unsung heroes of the civil war ancestral findings podcast af273 duration. Determined not to remain on the sidelines, emma edmonds cropped her hair, donned mens clothing, and enlisted in the union army. What is even more surprising is the fact that sarah emma edmonds was not even american.
Even though she dressed and acted like a boy, she was never able to please him. 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. Sarah emma edmonds, was born december, 1841, in magaguadavic, new brunswick, canada. Bibliography civil war battle from the perspective of a nurse s. Sarah emma edmonds was one of the 400 women who were successful in enlisting for either the union or confederacy. Sarah emma edmonds was a lady heavily involved in the american civil war. Sarah emma edmonds civil war filing cabinet liberty. Sarah edmonds, american soldier who fought, disguised as a man, in the civil war. The double life of sarah emma edmonds, civil war soldier by laura leedy gansler, university of nebraska press, 2007. Sarah emma edmonds woman who fought in the civil war. Sarah seelye was born sarah emma edmundson in magaguadavic settlement, new brunswick, canada. The true story of a civil war spy carolrhoda picture books kindle edition by jones, carrie, oldroyd, mark. Sarah emma edmonds as frank thompson she disguised herself as black male contraband named cuff performing manual labor for the confederate army. For a time she was an itinerant seller of bibles, dressing as a man and using the name frank thompson.
Read in english by triciag the nurse and spy is simply a record of events which have transpired in the experience and under the observation of one who has been on the field and participated in numerous battlesamong which are the first and second bull run, williamsburg, fair oaks, the seven days in front of. Many women did this but emmas story is far more exciting. Sarah emma edmonds december 1841 september 5, 1898, was a canadian born woman. Sarah edmonds american civil war soldier britannica. Emma has to keep this a secret because if someone finds out she will be in big trouble. Download m4b 257mb download cover art download cd case insert. Civil war, sarah pretended her way into the union army, becoming a. Sarah emma edmonds later seeyle dressed up a man and fought as a soldier in the american civil war. Sarah emma edmonds civil war filing cabinet liberty letters. Edmonds was born as sarah emma evelyn edmonds in new. The true story of a civil war spy carolrhoda picture books carrie jones, mark oldroyd on.
The true story of a civil war spy carolrhoda picture. Aug 17, 2011 sarah emma edmonds was a lady heavily involved in the american civil war. Nurse and spy in the union army the adventures and experiences of a woman in hospitals, camps, and battlefields author. When the civil war broke out, sarah enlisted under the name frank thompson and became a spy. She later wrote a book about her experiences, titled. In 1857, to escape the abuse and an arranged marriage, edmondson left home, changing her name to edmonds. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Jan 24, 2019 sarah emma edmonds later seeyle dressed up a man and fought as a soldier in the american civil war.
The true story of a civil war spy, and its by my good friend carrie jones. In male attire, sarah emma evelyn edmonds sold bibles in the northeastern united states under the name frank thompson prior to enlisting for the civil war. Emma edmonds an excerpt from edmonds 1865 memoir telling the story of the battle of bull run, 1861 also. She later wrote a book about her experiences, titled nurse and spy in the civil war, where. As the lone canadian in wonder women, sarah emma edmonds has a special place in my heart and hopefully in yours, once you hear. Her father was a farmer who had been hoping for a son to help him with the crops. Not all of the women soldiers of the civil war were discharged so quickly. Oct 15, 2015 when sarah emma edmonds was a little girl growing up in new brunswick, canada, she read a book called fanny campbell, the female pirate captain. Some women served for years, like sarah emma edmonds seelye, and others served the entire war, like albert d. Sarah emma edmonds soldier, nurse and spy in the union army, meadow books, 2006, isbn 9781846850417. Sarah emma edmonds, grew up in canada to a father who wanted a boy to farm with. You may copy it, give it away or reuse it under the terms of the project gutenberg license included with this ebook or online at. Sarah emma edmonds seelye 18411898 find a grave memorial.
The full title of todays book is sarah emma edmonds was a great pretender. Sarah emma edmonds was a great pretender sarah emma edmonds started pretending at a very early age. She later said it was this book that inspired her to start dressing like a boy. A master of disguise, edmonds exploits were described in the bestselling nurse and spy in the union army. Sarah edmonson received scant education as a child, and sometime in the 1850s she ran away from home. Librivox recording of nurse and spy in the union army by sarah emma edmonds. Edmonds was born as sarah emma evelyn edmonds in new brunswick, canada, in december of 1841. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading sarah emma edmonds was a great pretender. Civil war, sarah pretended her way into the union army, becoming a male nurse named frank thompson. Have two students read aloud the text on page 5 while others follow along. In her memoir, unsexed, or the female soldier, sarah edmonds stated that her family was overprotective, making her feel sheltered but enslaved and she described her father as the.
Her mother was an earnest, hardlaboring carrier of numerous childrenall of whom, save one, were girls, a disaster to family patriarch isaac edmondson. As far as we know, sarah emma edmonds began dressing as a boy early on, in an attempt to please her abusive father, who hated girls. In 1992, she was inducted into the michigan womens hall of fame. In 1992 she was inducted into the michigan womens hall of fame.
Resurrecting a lost hero of the civil war, the mysterious private thompson tells the remarkable story of sarah emma edmonds 184198, who disguised herself as a man and defended her country at a time of war. Edmonds was born on a farm in new brunswick, canada in 1841, to isaac edmonds, of scotland, and elizabeth leeper, of ireland. Edmonds resumed her female identity in the middle of the war to undergo treatment for malaria, then worked as a nurse until wars end. Nurse and spy in the union army the adventures and experiences of a woman in hospitals, camps, and battlefields language. The story of sarah emma edmonds, the young woman who posed as a man and enlisted in the 2nd michigan infantry regiment under the name franklin thompson, is enshrined in popular history and civil war lore, repeated in classrooms by educators and republished regularly in pop biographies. As the lone canadian in wonder women, sarah emma edmonds has a special place in my heart and hopefully in yours, once you hear about her amazing exploits. Women soldiers of the civil war, part 2 national archives. Aug 28, 2019 not all of the women soldiers of the civil war were discharged so quickly. It told the tale of a woman who, dressed as a man, had dashing adventures as a pirate. Not much is known about her mother, but her father wanted a boy and was very disappointed that emma, as she was called, was a girl. The true story of a civil war spy carrie jones, illus. Sarah emma edmonds was a great pretender carolrhoda books, 2011 is a provocative introduction to the feisty canadian teenager who fled her home country, assumed the identity of a man calling herself frank thompson, and then served in the second michigan infantry, first as a field nurse and then as a spy under the command of major general. Jun 21, 2011 sarah emma edmonds was a great pretender carolrhoda books, 2011 is a provocative introduction to the feisty canadian teenager who fled her home country, assumed the identity of a man calling herself frank thompson, and then served in the second michigan infantry, first as a field nurse and then as a spy under the command of major general. Sarah emma edmondson was born in new brunswick, canada in december of 1841.
Drawing on edmondss journals and those of the men she served with, laura leedy gansler recreates edmondss experience in some of the bloodiest battles of the civil. We know of sarah emma edmonds primarily through her own book, through records assembled to defend her pension claim, and through diaries of two men with whom she served. At this animal shelter, kids visit each month to read aloud to the shelters cats. Unlike most kids, though, sarah never really stopped pretending. Sarah emma edmonds december 1841september 5, 1898, was a canadianborn woman who is known for serving as a man with the union army during the american civil war. In the book behind rebel lines, emma works as a doctor in a field hospital for the u. Her father only wanted sons, so sarah pretended to be one. 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.
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