Frances Clalin Frances Clalin Clayton , was a woman who disguised herself as a man named Jack Williams in order to fight for Union forces during the American Civil War . She served in the Missouri artillery and cavalry units for several months . Early life . Clalin was born in Illinois in the 1830s . She later married Ohio born Elmer L . Clayton , with whom she would have three children . They had a farm in Minnesota . Civil War involvement . Clalin ' story as a woman who disguised herself as man to fight in the American Civil War was the subject of several newspaper reports , and several contained conflicting information . Most agreed that Clalin , disguised as a man , and using the pseudonym " Jack Williams " enlisted with the Union alongside with her husband during the fall of 1861 . Both Clalin and Elmer were born and lived in the North , but despite living in the state of Minnesota they enlisted in a Missouri regiment . It is unknown which units specifically they fought in , but Clalin is said to have served in both cavalry and artillery units . Clalin served side by side with her husband until he died in battle in 1862 . Clalin is known to have fought in the Battle of Fort Donelson in Tennessee , February 13 , 1862 , where the Union won after three days of fighting . During this battle Clalin was wounded , but was not discovered because of her injury . Clalin was engaged in seventeen battles other than Fort Donelson . Reports say she was wounded a total of three times , and even taken prisoner once . It was during the Battle of Stones River ( or Murfreesboro ) , on December 31 , 1862 , that her husband died . He was only a few feet in front of Clalin when he died , but some sources say that she did not stop fighting - she stepped over his body and charged when the commands came . Disguise . It was not that hard for Clalin to convincingly play the part of Jack Williams . She was tall and masculine , and had tan skin . She had also worked on perfecting manly activities such as smoking , drinking , chewing tobacco , swearing and gambling . Clalin was quite fond of cigars as well . By doing these things , Clalin increased her manly character so that she would fit in and others wouldn ’ t see past her disguise . This plan was clever and effective , as some news reports state that Clalin was never discovered to be a woman , but instead was discharged when she confronted her superiors . Clalin was also reported to be a good ‘ horse - man ’ and ‘ swordsman ’ , and the way she carried herself in stride was soldierly , erect , and masculine . She was well trained and knew her duties well , but was also a respected person who commanded attention in the way she acted . It was said of Clalin in one report that she did her duties at all times and was considered to be a fighting man . Discovery . There are two stories about how Clalin was discovered to be a woman . One is that after the battle at Stones River , Clalin decided to let her true identity become known and she was discharged a few days later in Louisville , 1863 . The other is that Clalin was wounded in the hip at Stones River , and was discharged after being discovered that way . Clalin did fix the mistakes , but this error creates doubts about what really happened . After being discharged Clalin tried to get back to Minnesota , and then decided to collect the bounty owed her deceased husband and herself , as well as to get some of Elmer ’ s belongings . It is also speculated that she wanted to reenlist , but she was unable to . Her train was attacked by a Confederate guerrilla party , and she was robbed of her papers and her money . Clalin then went from Missouri to Minnesota , then to Grand Rapids , Michigan , and on to Quincy , Illinois . In Quincy a fund was created to aid her quest for payment by former soldiers and friends . Frances was last reported to be headed for Washington , D . C . Popularity with the press . Clalin became popular with the newspapers of the time . Her story was published in about six different papers , but they got her story jumbled up . In some articles it was stated that Clalin had been wounded and discovered at Stones River where her husband died , but others said she was wounded at Fort Donelson , and was able to keep her identity a secret until her husband died and she went to her superiors with her secret . According to Clalin , she was actually wounded at Donelson and was able to keep her secret unknown , and she corrected these misunderstandings in her last interview but she never stated what specific regiment she had served in . This was probably never asked of Clalin , because the reporters were more interested in the story of a devoted wife , rather than the actual details of Jack Williams ’ soldier life .