The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-03-15
A Woman Soldier.
Kansas City Times.

81 think the most peculiar incident
that eyer came under my notice.
said Captain VIM. r. Morse, Of Gin
cinnati, to Times reporter at Inde-
pendence yesterday. "was that OF
Franklin Thompson. She was born
in Newfoundland, and her mother
died while she was quite young. AT
the age of sixteen years her father
married again. The second mother
did not make home paradise. and
Franklin determined to go out in the
world and support herself by her
own exertions. Having conceived
the idea that the world shed its favors
very unequally, favOring the male
more than the female, she adopted
the costume of the former and pro-
ceeded to Boston. Here she obtain
ed employment with publishing
house as a canvasser, in which posi-
tion she was very successful. In 1859
she made tour through Canada, and
landed at Flint, Mich, in the early
part of 1860. On the 18th day of
April f the same year she enlisted
in Company f of the Second Michi-
gan infantry, and was mustered in at
Detroit on the 26th of May. She fol-
lowed that regiment through hard
fought battles, never fiinched from
duty and was never suspected, of be-
ing else than that she seemed. BY
close application to- duty and remak-
able department, she was appointed
brigade postmaster. which position
aided her in many instances to con-
ceaI her identity. In the early part
of November, 1888, she was attacked
with malarial feyer, and fearing she
would be sent to the hospital and
that exposure would follow she de-
serted. Franklin was known by
every man in the regiment, and her
desertion was the topic of every camp
fire. The beardless boy was a uni
versal favorlte, and much anxiety
was expressed for her safety. We
never heard of her again during the
war, and could never account for the
desertiOn. About a year after this |
received several books from home.
Among them was one which attract
ed my attention, and / became con-
yinced that the author was no other
than Franklin Thompson, the boy
solder, who had deserted us at Green
river bridge. The book was Nurse
and Spy" After he war | learned
that franklin Thomson was wo.
man. and that she was married to a
man by the name of Seelye. While
in Fort Scott, Kansas, a short time
ago | heard the name, and inmedi-
ately thought that here was a clue to
the long lost Franklin Thomson.
called at the house a little girl met
me at the door. | told her to tell her
mother that a gentleman wished to
see her, but did not send in my name,
| was shown into neat but plain
little parlor. In a few minutes the
lady made her appearance and recog-
nized me. spent very pleasant
hour in talking over old times and in
listening to the history of her life.
She said that when she deserted she
made her way to Louisville and re-
sumed the habiliments of her sex.
She entered the Christian commits.
sion and served until the close of the
war. During this time she publish
ed her book and devoted $4,000 of the
proceeds to the commission. She af.
terward married and removed to
Fort Scott, where she still resides.
"Fhe story was called to my mind
again to day." continued the captain
"by reading in the report of Congress
that a bill was introduced by a Con
gresham from Michigan, asking that
the disability Of de sertion be remov-
ed from the record of Franklin
Thompson, and that she be granted
pension and receive her back pay.
She certainly deserves it, and / hope
she may get it,"