Since fifth grade has been studying the Civil War, I chose to read to them this well-researched book about the true story of Sarah Edmonds, who enlisted in the army by disguising as a man. Sarah said she was a man named Frank Thompson when they were recruiting men for the Union army. A few years prior, Sarah dressed like a man in order to get out of a marriage arranged by her parents. She dressed like a man, crossed the border from Canada to the United States, and began a new life as Frank. She loved the camaraderie she had with the other soldiers, and she excelled in her position. She trained to be a nurse, and her hard work and bravery led to her being chosen to spy on the Confederates.
It was such an interesting story, and in the author's note we learned that when Sarah became very sick and needed medical attention, she changed back into women's clothing and found a doctor away from the camp. Once she recovered and tried to come back to join her fellow soldiers, she saw a poster saying she was being accused as being a deserter of the army and should be shot on sight. Needless to say, she never returned to the army and concluded her life as Sarah. She married and dedicated her life to helping Civil War veterans. A nice book to read the week before Veterans Day!
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