The Incredible Story of Emma Edmonds - Civil War Spy

Disguised as a union soldier, Emma would risk her life for her country. Emma Edmonds was born in Saint John, Canada in 1840. When she was sixteen years old she ran away to the United States. When she was twenty one, President Lincoln made a request for seventy five thousand men to volunteer for the Army. She decided that she wanted to be a field nurse for the Union Army but those jobs were so dangerous that they were only given to men. So she cut her hair short, dressed up like a man, and enlisted under the name Franklin Thompson. Emma was assigned to the Second Regiment of Michigan Volunteers. The next day she and all the others in her Regiment were off to training camp. Upset at hearing the news that one of her friends had died in the war, Emma went to go see a woman named Mrs. Butler who lived on the camp with the soldiers. Emma started talking and she ended up telling her secret identity. After that day, Mrs. Butler became Emma's closest friend and the only one who new here secret. One day news came to the camp that a Union spy had been killed at a rebel camp. Now they needed a new spy and Emma volunteered. So she disguised herself as a black slave named Cuff. She snuck onto a rebel camp to gather any valuable information. She found out how many weapons they had, where people were hiding, anything that would help the union defeat the rebels. Once she had gathered enough information, she snuck back to the Union camp. With this information, the union began to fight. Emma became very busy in the hospital as more and more got injured. As the union reached a river, they had to stop and make a bridge across it which would take weeks. The Union army didn't have enough information to make an attack. It was time for Emma to become a spy again. This time she dressed up as a middle aged peddler woman. In this disguise she had no trouble at all getting into the camp and she was allowed to walk around freely. She found out a lot of useful information including the fact that the rebels had an ambush waiting for the union troops. She then rode away on a one of the rebel's horses. They were so impressed with Emma's work that they made her a messenger during all the fighting. For many months Emma was sent off on spy missions and was successful on all of them. Emma returned to being a nurse as the war went on. She was then struck with malaria. She couldn't go to the hospital she worked at because then they would find out she was a girl. So she decided to leave, get the help she needed and then come back. So she left and checked herself into a hospital. Once she got her malaria under control, she saw a union poster in a window. It said that Franklin Thompson was absent without leave. He was known as a deserter. Emma was upset but she continued being a nurse under her rightful name. Later on, after she was married she petitioned the war department to review her case. She had her military rights restored and received and honorable discharge. Other troops were surprised to find out that their old friend Frank Thompson was actually Emma Edmonds. Emma lived in La Porte until her death in 1898. This is a good book full of adventure and suspense.

I thought it was cool how Emma was able to pull off so many disguises. Emma's biggest disguise was being a man. She was able to fool everyone, even her fellow soldiers who she became friends with, that she was a guy. She pulled it off without anyone ever asking questions. Also, there was her favorite disguise, the black slave named Cuff. She was again pretending to be a guy and she was able to come up with something to make her skin look dark. She was able to fool everyone in the rebel camp. Another disguise was as a peddler woman. Even though she was dressed up as a girl, no one ever thought that she actually looked like a real girl. She was even able to fool them then.

Emma was brave and took many risks during her life. One big risk was just signing up. She could have gotten into a lot of trouble if they found out that she was lying and was a girl. And being in the middle of a war is dangerous too. Another risk was when Emma disguised herself as Mr. Mayberry. She was supposed to lead a man, who was leaking union information to the rebels, into a union ambush. If anything went wrong she could've ended up dead and no one would have known. Also, when she was dressed up as a black slave woman, she could have gotten killed. She found secret rebel documents and was going to take them back to her camp. But if she was caught with them they probably would have killed her.

When ever Emma made a decision she stuck to it and didn't turn back. For example, when she decided to run away. She was only sixteen and was afraid of her dad. But she set her fears aside and made the decision to leave and she was happy about it. Another example is when she decided to volunteer for the Army. She was scared and worried that they wouldn't believe her disguise. But she made her decision and wasn't going to second guess herself. Also, when she wanted to become a spy. It was dangerous but she wanted to do it anyway. And even after Mrs. Butler tried and tried to convince her not to do it, Emma stuck to her decision.

This is a great book that will make you not want to put it down. I would recommend it to most people who like biographies and adventure story. This book may not interest everyone but overall it was good.

C. Chapman

4-7 The book Behind Rebel Lines is set in 1861, during the Civil War. Emma Edmonds wants to help the country so she dresses up like a man and joins the Union army. Throughout the book, you discover the challenges that Emma faces by hiding her real identity as being a woman, slave, and soldier. Some parts of the book was intense because there was some descriptions of wounds and death, but they were not very vivid. I think the book would appeal to grades 4-7 because of the interesting facts about the Civil War and the feeling that you have to flip the page to find out more.Overall, I would give the book a 4 out of five stars because of the unique way the author writes, and the cool characters that the author creates.

This is a very quick read even for the 9-12 year age group it is intended for. Never-the-less, it is a very exciting and interesting bit of true Civil War drama. It is the story of Sarah Emma Edmonds, or Emma Edmonds as she was known, a young woman, born in Canada, who, disguised as a man, became a solider, battlefield nurse, spy and detective for the Union army. Emma was sworn into the Union army as Private Franklin Thompson and served bravely and cunningly in many dangerous missions and in many disguises. She was also a devoted and skilled battlefield nurse and tended the wounded of both the Union and the Confederacy with compassion. Her career as a male soldier ended at Vicksburg when she became so ill with malaria that she had to go AWOL in order to escape detection as a female. Her adventures did not stop there. This book is sure to grab the interest of anyone who picks it up. It is not a great work of writing skill, being very episodic with little to link together the various elements of Emma's courageous life. The dialogue is fabricated, of course, and rather stilted, but the facts here are accurate and taken from Emma's memoirs and other historical documents. At least 400 women disguised as men fought for the North during the Civil War, but Emma's tale of espionage is perhaps the most thrilling. I highly recommend this book to young people as a wonderful introduction to the Civil War. Getting to know the people who fought this tragic and bloody war is a wonderful way to understand this astonishing chapter of American history. This book is definitely a page turner and so all the better for keeping interest high and fostering curiosity and discovery. Don't miss it.

Read in May, 2012

review

Behind Rebel Lines: The Incredible Story of Emma Edmonds, Civil War Spy - by Seymour Reit

This was a book that I could not put down. It was a fast pace book about a young woman Emma Edmonds who didn't want to live a simple life. She dreamed of adventure and taking risks and that she did when the opportunity came her way via the Civil War. Emma disguised herself as a male by entering the military as Frank Thompson. Soon the Union army were seeking volunteers for someone daring to become a spy. Emma soon became a master of disguises as she took on the various missions to obtained secret documents that would benefit the Union

Emma Edmonds is a young girl from Canada, living in the North during the Civil War. She's always been outgoing and bold- never able to stay in one place at a time. So when she feels a calling to join the Union army, she does what any rebellious girl would do- cuts her hair, gets the uniform, and joins up. At first she's awkward and unsure- terrified that she'll be discovered. She sees the whole thing as a big adventure-that is, until an old love interest of hers is killed in the war. She decides to really take a stand and looks at the war in a whole different way. She fights with all her power-until she gets word that a Union spy was recently killed by the Confederates. She quickly lands the job of replacement. She goes across the rebel lines, a different disguise each time, and collects useful information which helped to save many battles.

Emma Edmonds, whom I had never heard of before reading the book, is a facinating character. How she summoned the courage to join the army I will never know. A very good book, but a little slow in places.

Behind the Lines is an adaptation of the Emma Edmonds story for young adults. Emma Edmonds was a native of Saint John New Brunswick, Canada who left for the United States several years prior to the war. She eventually found her way to Michigan where, following the outbreak of war, she under the alias Franklin Thompson enlisted with the 2nd Michigan Infantry. She served with the unit as an orderly for about a year before she volunteered herself as a spy, and during the course of the next year went on eleven assignments. Not only were her spying activities dangerous, but she always had to remain vigilant among her comrades as well, lest her identity be discovered. This is a very interesting and entertaining bit of history, one that is sure to interest even some of those who insist that history is "bo-ring".

Written by Seymour Reit, "Behind Rebel Lines" tells the true story of Emma Edmonds. Running away from her father at the age of sixteen, she had left Canada for the country where freedom and liberty would become a reality. Now the year 1861, Emma is now 21 and the Civil War between states has begun. When President Lincoln asks for volunteers, Emma is determined not to just sit by. She disguises herself as a man and enlists herself into the Union Army. Now everyone, including her superior officers and fellow soldiers, believe her to be Private Franklin Thompson, assigned to Company F. But Emma wants to do more, so she volunteers to be a Union spy. But while she has been all this time fooling her own army, can she keep her secret behind rebel lines?
A truly well-written story, "Behind Enemy Lines" is sure to please. The author did a lot of research to write this book, re-creating Emma Edmond's story through Emma's memoirs, U.S. Army Records, and files from the National Archive. At the front cover of the book it is written "Great Episodes". This is because each chapter is separated in such a way. In that sense, while reading the story the reader might feel as though the book does not really flow as well as you would like. But on the overall, the whole story is written well if not a bit aimed more for younger audiences.
Emma's character is captivating and very realistic. Oh, I know that she WAS a real character, but in few cases, some authors cannot seem to grasp the character of who they're writing about. Fortunately, Seymour Reit puts down Emma's life down on paper flawlessly. You can almost 'hear' the imp voice in Emma's ear!
On the whole, "Behind Rebel Lines" is a gripping and fascinating historical biography and I can easily recommend it. Best for ages 10 - 14 but older teens and some adults might find this a good read.
"This stranger-than-fiction story will captivate history buffs and hold the attention of the most reluctant reader."
-Bank Street College of Education-

Emma Edmonds has always wanted to be a solider, but how can she be a solider if she is a women. Emma decides to disguise herself as a male and becomes a nurse. All the other solders think that ''Frank Thomson'' is a good solider, so Emma gets assigned the job to be a civil war spy. Emma then goes on several journeys that could get her in serious trouble, but Emma still keeps fighting. While she is a nurse she makes a friend that knows her secret but is not going to tell anyone. The friend helps her get past all the challenges she goes through. Without her friendship, Emma would have never gone on these courageous journeys that she did. Emma then goes on one more trip this one might be the most dangerous one she has been on does Emma have the strength to do it?
This book was my favorite historical fiction book I ever read. The fact that a woman could do something that brave is amazing. I gave this book a five star rating because it was easy to read and it was a great book. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy historical fiction books and books about action and friendship. This book helped me understand the civil war more because it would give facts about the war. I loved this book so much I hope you read it with pleasure.

Behind Rebel Lines by Seymour Reit is a captivating, yet completely factual insight into American history. This novel tells the interesting story of a young woman who risked her life by joining the Union Army and going on to become a key Civil War Spy. This woman, Emma Edmonds, is inspiring with her passion to fight for the cause she believes in. The biggest journey of her life began when she decided to join the army as Nurse Franklin Thompson in 1861. The army was desperate for volunteers and did not bother with a physical. A short time into her service, she found that an old friend was killed in an enemy ambush. This tragedy fueled her to become one of the most prominent Civil War Spies.

According to the author, all the people, places, and events in the novel are completely factual and were taken from her memoirs from after the war, US Army records, records from the National Archives, and writings of other historians. The author used those resources to realistically recreate Emma's personality for the reader. For example, at the beginning of her journey, Emma is unconfident in her disguise as Franklin Thompson. Her confidence grows that first year allowing her to bravely dress as a black slave named Cuff, then an Irish peddler, and eventually a sophisticated businessman. Her willingness to take extreme measures to fool the enemy is unparalleled.

It is obvious that the author has extensive understanding about the Civil War period. The author freely uses dates, names, and locations throughout the novel. This helps set the scene for Emma's adventures and reminds the reader that everything Emma does really happened.

This novel is appropriate for ages 10-14 in both content and reading level. It addresses themes like passion, duty, freedom, slavery, and women's responsibilities. Young readers would learn how different groups were treated especially black slaves. They will explore the ideas of duty and women's responsibilities through Emma's work as a nurse. Behind Rebel Lines would be a good novel for elementary teachers to incorporate into a Civil War unit because it addresses political and social issues of the time. Reit writes at a level that is neither very complex or too simple. He avoids advanced vocabulary and uses relatively easy to understand sentence patterns.

As a whole this work, is a good addition to a classroom library or US history unit. It is well researched and written with young reader in mind. Many adults would also enjoy this quick read due to its factual nature. Seymour Reit has indeed captured the passionate American spirit in this biography of an extraordinary young soldier.

This is a true story,written by Seymour Reit, about a woman overcoming the odds in a man's place. The incredible woman i am talking about is Emma Edmonds. She posed as a male nurse named Franklin Thompson. Edmonds was sent as a spy behind rebel lines.She successfully completed 11 missions!
Behind Rebel Lines really did make me think. This book was excellent! I loved it. I could barely put it down(but I did haha). I loved reading about the struggle of a real woman who could demonstrate this amount of courage. It is so inspirational. By the way,I know I sound like a fruit but my teacher is making me write this haha. See ya!Have a GREAT day!!Love yas!

Behind Rebel Lines is an incredible story about a girl named Emma Edmonds who dressed up as a boy and went into the Army.She then goes on a lot of adventures that may cost her her life. If you like action and adventure, I believe this is your book. I just loved reading it. It shows how much some people love their country as well as how caring and fearless they are. Even though it is about a girl, I think that some boys might like it, too, so just try it out. This book will truly change what you think about the Civil War. If you love your country a lot you might find yourself going Behind Rebel Lines like Emma Edmonds.

I had to read this book for my 8th grade class. I am not a very good reader and not like to read a book that is hundreds of pages long! This book is around 110-115 pgs and if you are a good fast reader you can read it in a day.
I gave this book 5 stars because it well deserves it not to mention that this is not a fiction but a "TRUE STORY!"
I liked how the author kept somthing back in every chapter and then showed it to you not like some other books when they go like "he saw a big ugly dangerous.... end of chapter.... and in next chapter they go like but it was just a dream!" I mean what the Heck is that keep something back that is strong so the reader is satesfied!
About the book: Just like I told you above You can read it in a day or 2 but if you really wanna like this book read 1-3 chapters a day, Why because than u will always think all day what will happen next! And Finally when you find out You get more Pleasure out of it!
Final thought If you wanna know more about The civil war than the usaual north vs south this is the book for you... Or if you want a women role model than this is it The real wonder women, "Emma Edmonds"!
REMEMBER THIS IS A TRUE STORY!

Wow! You don't have to like war books to really enjoy this one! Emma Edmonds is a spy for the Union army and several times she must sneak over to confederate lines in a disguise. You will be wondering if she makes it or not, as she crosses again and again, She keeps her identity a secret from everyone except Mrs. Butler who helps her with her disguises. And the amazing thing is that it is a true story!

Behind Rebel Lines, by Seymour Reit is a very interestingbook. The book is about a woman, named Emma, who jions the union army disguised as a man. Emma is very corageous and even though she signed up as a nurse, she is soon working as a spy. Reit does a good job of giving details about Emma's adventures behind enemy lines. This is a very exciting book that gives a good picture of what it might be like to be a spy. The book also gave the reader an idea of what it might be like too be a woman and have to sit on the sidlines when you really want to be helping. emma was a patriot and awoman's rights activist. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys adventurous, historical fiction.

I didn't really like this book. I didn't really like the author's writing style, it was a little hard to understand and follow. The subject wasn't very interesting to me. I think that it would have been hard to try to re-create a story about the civil war. I think that the author did good on that.

I wouldn't really recommend this book unless you are interested in things about the army. I think that it was cool though that a woman would take that kind of risk just to be in combat. Also it was cool that she was that passionate about serving her country.

I read this in class and it was phenomenal. This girl named Emma Edmunds, the spy, and her imp voice go on daring "adventures" and crossing the border. Emma dresses as a boy named Private Thompson. On her adventures she disguised as Cuff a slave and an Irish immigrant.I think Emma is daring, brave and, willing.

Fun and exciting it made me want to be a stronger person and made me think of all the history there has not been discovered it made me feel like a strong person and made want to do more for the world.

This is the story of a young woman from Canada who wants to serve her country in the Civil War. This impelling book tells of the adventures of Sarah Edmonds, as she fights to keep her identity a secret. I highly reccomend this book, and would read it any time.

This book was easy to read. The main character, Emma Edmonds, played many roles within the story. She disguised herself as a man, became a soldier and spied for the Union Army. She had many adventures which kept my attention. She was later hospitalized after an arm injury, but was always scared someone might find out she was a girl fighting in the war. I would recommend this book to people who love excitement and action.

I did not enjoy this book. I think if you are going to write a book like this, you should at least write it a little better. Some people may like it, but I am not one of those people. It was confusing who she was trying to help.