Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-03-20
THE MAsQUERADNG MUsKETEER.
How a Newfoundland Girl Fought the Bat
ties of the Union in Mans Clothes.

How a Newfoundland Girl Fought the Bat
ties of the Union in Mans Clothes.
Kansas City Times.
81 think the most peculiar incident
that ever came under my notice. said
Capt. William r. Morse of Cincinnati to
Times reporter at Independence yester-
terday, "was that ofFranklin 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 a paradise, and Franklin
determined to go out into the world and
support herself by her own exertions.
Having conceived theidea that the world
shed its favOrs unequally, favOring the
male more that the female, she adopted
the costume of the former and proceeded
to Boston. Here she obtained employ
ment with a publishing house as a can
vasser, in which position she was very
successful. In 1859 she made a tour
through Canada, and landed at Flint,
Mich, in the early part of 1850. On the
18th day of April of the same year she
enlisted in Company F of the Second
Michigan infantry, and was mustered in
at Detroit on the 26th day Of May. She
followed that regiment through hard
fought battles, never flinched from duty,
and was never suspected of being else
than that she seemed. By close applica-
ton to duty and remarkable department,
she was appointed brigade postmaster,
which position aided her in many in
stances to conceal her identity. In the
early part of November, 1868, she was
attacked with malarial fever, and fearing
she would be sent to the hospital and
that exposure would follow she deserted
|
the regiment, and her desertiOn was the
the topic of every camp fire. The beard
| less boy was a universal favorite, 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 attracted
my attention, and I became convinced
| TINT the author was no other than
/ Franklin Thompson, the boy soldier,
| who had deserted us at Green river
/ bridge. The book was the Nurse and
/ Spy.' After the war I learned that
| Franklin Thompson was a woman, and
/ that she was married to a man by the
name of Seelye. While in Fort Scott,
Kas., a short time ago heard the name,
and Immediately thought that there was
a clue to the long lost Franklin Thomp-
son. called at the house; a little girl
met me at the door. told her to tell
her mother that gentleman wished to
see her, but did not send in my name.
was shown into a neat but plain little
parlor. In few minutes the lady made
her appearance and recognized 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 Louis
vile and resumed the habiliments of her
sex. She entered the Christian commits
sion and served until the close ofthe war.
/ During this time she published her book
and devoted $1,000 of the proceeds to
the commission. She afterWard married
and removed to Fort Scott, where she
still resides.