Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-05-30

enlisted under the name of Franklin
Thompson rs a private soldier in com
pany F., Second Michigan Infantry
Volunteers about the 25th of May,
1861, and was mustered into the SER
vice by Lieutenant Colonel j. r.
Smith, U. S. A. At first she enlisted
for three months and afterward for
three Yeas or during the war.
Her first duty WAS at Fort Wayne.
Detroit, Mich, where she drilled, did
fatigue duty and performed all the
necessary duties of a soldier in camp.
When of duty she assisted in caring
for the sick and she did this so well
that she was often detailed for hospi-
tai service afterward. She came with
her regiment to Washington, stood
guard and picket duty and drilled with
her company until the regimental
hospital became filled with cases from
sunstroke and other causes, when she
was detailed for hospital work. She
found, though, she could fight, and
when the sick were sent to city hospi
tails and preparations made for the
march to Bull Run she joined her COM
pany and went along.
All during the fight she remained
with her comrades and did her duty
like the man she was supposed to be.
When the Union army retreated to
Centerville Heights, stacked arms, and
threw itself on the ground, as she sup
posed for the night, she went into the
Stnno nh,1rn VI htnI, ,,poI
hospital ut Centerville, and became SO
much engaged in doing what she could
for the wounded and dying that she
forgot everything outside the hospital.
Before she knew it the entire army
had retreated to Washington. She es-
capped under cover of the darkness and
made her way alone to Washington,
reaching camp twenty.four hours after
her company. Her GOODNESS on this &C.
casion and her general conduct as
soldier led to her detail shortly after
us mail carrier to the Second Michi-
gan, and subsequently postmaster and
mail carrier for the brigade to which
the Second Michigan was attached. In
this capacity she went to the peninsula
with General McClellan's army and re.
NAMED there as postmaster and mail
carrier all through the campaign.
During this disastrous campaign she
bore herself bravely and we'll. While
Yorktown was besieged she carried
the mail on horseback for the brigade
from Fortress Monroe-letters, papers
and packages averaging from two to
three bushels each trip-the distance
being about twenty-five or thirty
miles. Owing to the condition of the
roads, she was often compelled to
spend the night along the roadside.
When she first began her trips it was
reported that the bushwhackers had
murdered mail carrier on that road
shortly before and robbed the mail
The report seemed to have some foun.
dalton, for in the most lonely part she
found the ground still strewn with
fragments of letters and papers. She
was at the battle of Williamsburg, but
was sick when the battle of Fair Oaks
occurred.
While the army lay in front OF Rich.
mond the floods frequently carried
away the bridges over the Chickahom-
my and the young mail carrier was
more than once obliged to swim her
horse across the swift, run ming stream.
Often she sat in the saddle drenched
for hours, sometimes remaing all mig hit
by the roadside watching for daylight
to pick her way through the danger
GUS mudholes through which the mule
teams had wallowed. She was in the
seven days fight crossing the PENN.
sula to the James River and more than
once barely escaped with her life.
At one place she was ordered to pro-
cure some stores from n farmhouse,
and while there was caught between
two fires, the enemy opening up and
her comrades responding. She Sc.
cured the provisions, though, and re-
turned unhurt. After the army went
into camp at Harrison's Landing she
resumed her old duties of postmaster
and when the army left the peninsula
came to Alexandria with her company.
The company was sent up the Shenan.
doah Valley and sue went to a hos
pital. She rejoined her command,
though, in time to take part in the
second battle of Bull Run. She was ut
Fredericksburg and at the battle acted
as orderly to General o. NJ. Poe.
About the middle of March, 1863,
she accompanied her company to Ken
lucky. Here she was debilitated by
the chills and fever She anplied fer !
furlough, but it was refused, and
fearing that her sex might be discov-
cred. she deserted. She reached ODER !
lin, Ohio, some time in April, and for
four weeks wore the costume of q pri-
vate soldier. Then she went back to
petticoats again and has never been
in disguise since. Civil life had too
few attractions for her, and soon after
she returned to hospital duty once