The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1896-05-27

absent from duty while wearing the
blue. Her captain said years after
the war that she was driven from
home by a stepmother when only six
teen years old, and that she adopted
male attire and was publishing house
canvasser. He also says she made n
tour of Canada, reaching Flint, Mich. :,
| in time to enlist. Her sex was never
suspected and her desertion was the
topic of every camp fire, for Frank
lin was n great favorite. This deser-
| tion was never satisfactorily accounted
| for. She claims she was constrained
to dress M II man and become n sol
dier through strong impulse which
she could not resist.
She says of that period: 81 had no
other motive in enlisting than love for
suffering humanity. / felt called to
go and do what could for the de-
Tense of the right; II / could not fight
/ could take the place of some one who
could and thus add one more soldier
to the ranks. had no desire to be
promoted to any Office went with no
other ambition than to nurse the sick
and care for the wounded. had in
herited from my mother the rare gift
OF nursing, and when not too weary
and exhausted there was n magnetic
power in my hands to soothe delirium."
Actuated only by such motives, she
enlisted under the name of Franklin
Thompson as private soldier in COM
pany +, Second Michigan Infantry
Volunteers about the 25th of May,
1861, and was mustered into the SER
vice by Lieutenant. Colonel j. r.
Smith, U. $. A. At first she enlisted
for three months and afterward for
three yeais or during the war.
Her frat duty was ut Fort Wayne.
Detroit, Mich, where she drilled, did
fatigue duty and performed all the
necessary duties of soldier in camp.
When oil duty she assisted in caring
for the sick aud 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
he- 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, ant
when the sick were sent to city hospi
tails and preparations made for thu
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 II
Centerville Heights, stacked arms, anC
threw itself on the ground, as she sup
posed for the night, she went into til,
stone church, which was used as
hospital at Centerville, and became s,
much engaged in doing what she coul'
for the wounded and dying that sh
forgot everything outside the hospital
Before she knew it the entire arm.
had retreated to Washington. Sho es
capped under cover of the darkness an,
made her way alone to Washington
reaching camp twenty-four hours afte
her company. Her GOODNESS on this Oc
, casion and her general conduct as
soldier led to her detail shortly afte
. us mail carrier to the Second Mich
, gan, and subsequently postmaster an
J mail carrier for the brigade to whic
| the Second Michigan was attached. !
( this capacity she went to the peninsul
with General McClellan's army and &c
mained there as postmaster and LIai
: carrier all through the campaign.
: During this disastrous campaign sh
bore herself bravely and well. Will
Q Yorktown was besieged she carrie
: the mail on horseback for the brigsd