Proof of Origin of Disability for Frank Thompson, also known as S. Emma E. Seelye
9/13/1897
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During the Civil War, neither the Union nor the Confederate Army allowed women to enlist. However, hundreds of women served by passing as men. Sarah Emma Edmonds, alias Frank Thompson, passed as a man for two years with Company F, 2nd Michigan Infantry Volunteers. She deserted after contracting malaria, fearing she would be discovered.
After leaving the Army, Seelye returned to civilian life as a woman, married, and focused on raising her family. Nevertheless, she suffered a lifelong disability as a result of her service and eventually applied for a pension because her family needed the income. When she filed for an invalid pension, one of her fellow soldiers, Richard H. Halsted, gave testimony regarding her service. Eventually Congress passed a bill to grant her a pension.
After leaving the Army, Seelye returned to civilian life as a woman, married, and focused on raising her family. Nevertheless, she suffered a lifelong disability as a result of her service and eventually applied for a pension because her family needed the income. When she filed for an invalid pension, one of her fellow soldiers, Richard H. Halsted, gave testimony regarding her service. Eventually Congress passed a bill to grant her a pension.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Full Citation: Proof of Origin of Disability for Frank Thompson, also known as S. Emma E. Seelye; 9/13/1897; Case Files of Approved Pension Applications of Veterans Who Served in the Army and Navy Mainly in the Civil War and The War With Spain: Nos. SC 9,487 - 999,999, 1861 - 1934; Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/proof-disability-seelye, October 13, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.