Keith and another Union officer, George W. Kirk, organized a mountain railroad for fleeing Unionists, deserters from the Confederate army, and escaping prisoners who were fleeing the prison at Salisbury, North Carolina.
During one of the raids on the Confederate militia near Keith’s home, he was shot in the face. His cheekbone was fractured, destroying his right eye. Even with only one eye, Keith continued his raids until the war was over.
After the war Keith and Malinda lived out their lives in Avery County, North Carolina. Keith received a three-quarters pension of $175 per month for the loss of his eye.
On March 19, 1903, Sarah Malinda Pritchard Blalock died in her sleep at the age of 64. She is buried in Montezuma Community Cemetery.
On the morning of April 11, 1913, William McKesson “Keith” Blalock was killed in a railroad accident. He lost control of his handcar on a curve. The car toppled from the tracks crushing him to death. Keith was buried alongside Malinda on April 14, 1913. The inscription placed on his tombstone would have infuriated him. It read:
Soldier
26th North Carolina Infantry
C.S.A.
The courage and daring of this extraordinary couple helped the Union in its quest to end the bitter fighting and reunite the Union. They have earned a place of honor in American history.
10
Fanny Wilson and Nellie Graves: Women Soldiers
One of the most unusual stories of women enlisting in the Union army as men is the story of two close friends who disguised themselves and enlisted in the same regiment. These two young ladies enlisted together to be near their lovers. They adapted well to army life and fought bravely in many battles. The two women were Fanny Wilson and Nellie Graves.
Fanny Wilson was a native of Long Island, New York. In 1860, at the age of 18, she traveled to Lafayette, Indiana, to visit with some of her relatives. Her friend Nellie Graves accompanied her on the trip. Both young girls had left lovers behind whom they missed very much.
Fanny became engaged to her young man prior to her trip west. Both girls spent much of their time composing long love letters to their men during the year they were apart.
In early 1861, with the possibility of a civil war hanging over the nation, the girls decided to return home to their families. To help pass the time on the long trip home, the young girls formulated a bold plan which would allow them to be near their lovers if war broke out. Each of them had already received correspondence indicating that the two men were planning to enlist in the Union army when the time to fight came.
Their plan was to enlist in the same regiment as their lovers but not in the same company. Being in a different company would lessen the risk of suspicion or discovery. They did not plan to tell the two men that they were in the ranks and would be happy just to be near them.
They returned home and in early September 1862, the two young men did enlist in the new regiment being formed at Camp Cadwallader, Beverly, New Jersey. The new unit was the 24th New Jersey Infantry Regiment. It was mustered into Federal service on September 16, 1862.
Fanny Wilson and Nellie Graves set about putting their plan into action. They cut their hair short, put on men’s clothing and practiced walking and talking like men. Once confident in their disguise, they presented themselves for enlistment and were accepted in the 24th New Jersey Infantry Regiment.
It was easier for Fanny to conceal her gender since she had a masculine build and a deep voice. Nellie had to work harder to keep her identity hidden. Both, however, adapted to army life quite well. They marched and trained alongside their lovers without once being suspected.
The 24th New Jersey Infantry Regiment was assigned to the defense of Washington until December 1862 when they were sent to Fredericksburg, Virginia, and participated in the Battle of Fredericksburg December 11 through 13. Fanny Wilson and Nellie Graves got their first taste of the horrors of war during this fierce battle. Both women were now veteran fighting soldiers and their romantic view of being in the army changed to a more serious way of thinking. Instead of being frightened enough to reveal themselves and be discharged to get away from the horror they experienced, they became stronger and more determined to continue and do their part for their country. The reality of war had realigned their priorities.
The 24th New Jersey Infantry Regiment proceeded to Chancellorsville in April 1863 where on May 1 through 4, they fought the Battle of Chancellorsville. During the fierce battle Fanny’s lover was seriously wounded. After the battle, Fanny sought him out and volunteered to watch over him. She almost revealed herself by her excessive devotion to his care. Despite the special care and all the extra effort on her part, he soon died. Fanny was taken ill by this terrible ordeal and was soon bedridden. Her friend Nellie had also become very ill about the same time.
The two friends were both transferred to the army hospital in Cairo, Illinois. While Fanny and Nellie were recovering in Cairo, the hospital staff discovered that both young soldiers were women. After recovering from their illness, both women were discharged. Nellie Graves was discharged first and the two friends parted company. No further data is available on Nellie Graves. If she re-enlisted in another unit to continue her service, she served undetected.
Fanny Wilson was discharged two weeks later and became a ballet dancer in the Cairo Theater for a while. After only two performances she became restless and began to look for another regiment to join. She felt obligated to continue her service to her country.
Fanny soon rejoined the army in Illinois as a private in the 3rd Illinois Cavalry, which was a well-seasoned group of soldiers. The regiment had been in existence since August 27, 1861, and had seen much action. They were on their way to Vicksburg, Mississippi, when Fanny joined them.
The 3rd Illinois Cavalry participated in the Siege of Vicksburg on May 18 through July 4, 1863, and fought both assaults on Vicksburg May 19 and 22. During the second assault on May 22, Fanny Wilson was wounded in battle. Her wound was not serious enough to cause her gender to be discovered during treatment. She recovered and continued with the regiment.
On August 5, 1863, she was riding through the streets of Memphis, Tennessee, with a fellow soldier when a guard stopped them. Fanny was arrested on suspicion of being a woman in men’s clothing and possibly a spy. She was then taken to the police station and questioned where she proved that she was not a rebel spy but a Union soldier.
The authorities procured a proper female wardrobe for her after she promised that she would not disguise herself as a man again. She was discharged from the army and left Memphis dressed as a woman. No further records are available on her life. If she sought out another regiment and re-enlisted, she was not detected.
Fanny Wilson and Nellie Graves were both extraordinary women who put their lives on the line for their country and the cause in which they came to believe.
11
Amy Clarke: Woman Soldier
Going from a quiet, peaceful life as a housewife to a mounted cavalry soldier, then to an infantry soldier and finally to a prisoner of war was the course of Amy Clarke’s life during the Civil War.
Amy Clarke and her husband Walter were living in the small town of Iuka, Mississippi, when the Civil War began. Walter, being a patriotic Southerner, soon joined a Confederate regiment and left Amy at home to take care of herself.
Amy, distraught over being somewhat abandoned by her husband, soon met and fell in love with a dashing hussar who was a mounted cavalryman in a Louisiana regiment. She was so taken with her newfound love that she decided to follow him when his regiment moved on.
Amy bought a cavalryman’s uniform and a horse and after cutting her hair short and getting used to her new disguise, she enlisted in his company as a mounted trooper. Amy was of medium height, slight build, and had stern, spirited eyes. She has been described as not disagreeable to look at. She adapted quickly to cavalry life. She enlisted under the name Richard Anderson.
For four months she rode with the Confederate cavalr
y unit during which time she became fatigued by the rigors of the cavalry life. She also experienced several close calls from serious bouts of sickness. She resolved to leave the cavalry and transfer to the infantry, for which she felt she was more suited.
Her request was approved and Pvt. Richard Anderson was transferred to the 11th Tennessee Infantry Regiment. Prior to the transfer, she received word that her husband Walter had been killed at the Battle of Shiloh, Tennessee, on April 6, 1862.
The 11th Tennessee Infantry under General Braxton Bragg fought many battles and on several occasions Amy, “Private Anderson,” would stand upon the dead body of a comrade in order to see the enemy while firing her rifle.
On August 29–30, 1862, the 11th Tennessee Infantry met Federal troops in battle at Richmond, Kentucky. During the Battle of Richmond she was wounded and taken prisoner by the Union army. Her wound was treated and she was taken, with the rest of those captured, to the union prison in Cairo, Illinois. It was reported by a correspondent of the Philadelphia Enquirer that among these prisoners from Kentucky, there were no less than three women soldiers, one being Amy Clarke.
Amy Clarke, who was 29 years old when she was captured on August 30, 1862, had served with the Confederate army for over 10 months, four in the cavalry and six months in the 11th Infantry without being discovered. However, being a prisoner of war in addition to all the previous hardships she had gone through was too much for her to bear. She longed to be returned to Mississippi and her friends. She promised to assume the proper apparel for her sex and not dress as a man again.
Several ladies and gentlemen from the Cairo area, upon learning of her promise, contributed to the purchase of a dress and other suitable clothing. She was then sent to the provost marshal’s office and exchanged with the next batch of prisoners. She was sent to Vicksburg for the exchange.
The Jackson Mississippian of December 30, 1862, stated that she was seen in Jackson, Mississippi, and was on her way back to re-join General Braxton Bragg’s command. The determination and courage that she had shown prior to her capture leads one to believe that she did re-join the war effort.
She very well may have re-enlisted in another regiment and continued her service to the Confederacy without being detected. No further record concerning her activities exists.
She served her cause very well and adapted to army life without being suspected of being anything but a good, hard working, brave soldier. She was truly a courageous and dedicated woman.
12
Frank Martin: Woman Soldier
The true identity of the woman who posed as Private Frank Martin is unknown. In all of the accounts of her heroic career as a Civil War soldier she never once revealed her real name.
She was born in 1845 in Bristol, Pennsylvania, and was raised in Allegheny City, by well-to-do, highly respected parents. One could surmise that because of society’s low opinion of women who dressed as men and entered the war, she was compelled to keep quiet about her real identity to protect her family from ridicule and embarrassment.
At the age of 12 she was sent to a convent in Wheeling, West Virginia. She remained in the convent until shortly after the Civil War began. In early 1862, she left the convent and returned to Allegheny City to see her parents. After visiting with her family for several months she headed for Louisville, Kentucky, with the intention of enlisting as a private in the 2nd Tennessee Cavalry.
She cut her auburn hair short, dressed as a man and enlisted in the 2nd Tennessee Cavalry as Private Frank Martin. The 2nd Tennessee Cavalry was organized at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, in July 1862 and mustered into Federal service in October 1862. The regiment was part of the Army of the Cumberland. Pvt. Frank Martin served with the 2nd Tennessee Cavalry until the Battle of Stone’s River.
The Battle of Stone’s River (Murfreesboro) was fought on December 31, 1862, through January 3, 1863, and was a battle between the Union army under General William S. Rosencrans and Confederate troops under General Braxton Bragg. The Union army casualties were 1,730 men killed, 7,802 wounded and 3,717 missing while the Confederate troops had 1,294 killed, 7,945 wounded and 1,027 missing. The battle was a bloody draw. These two armies would meet again at Chickamagua.
Pvt. Martin fought bravely and was in the thickest part of the battle. She fought her way across Stone’s River into Murfeesboro on the day Union forces were driven back. During the battle, Pvt. Frank Martin was severely wounded in the shoulder, and taken to the regimental hospital. While she was having her wounded shoulder dressed by the regimental doctor, it was discovered that Pvt. Frank Martin was a woman.
The physician immediately notified General Rosencrans, who ordered her mustered out of the regiment. She begged the general to let her stay and serve with the regiment she loved so well. The general was very impressed with her past record, loyalty and bravery. He, however, did not relent and arranged safe transportation for her back to her parents.
As she left the Army of the Cumberland she vowed to enlist in the first regiment she could find. When she arrived at Bowling Green, Kentucky, she found the 8th Michigan Infantry encamped there. She enlisted as Pvt. Frank Martin again and was accepted. She was described as 18 years old, a seasoned veteran, a good soldier, and a good scout who has endured all the hardships and horrors of war. She was of medium height, with auburn hair which she wore quite short, blue eyes, fair complexion bronzed by the sun, well educated and soft- spoken. She was an excellent horseman and was honored with the position of regimental bugler while with the 8th Michigan.
While escorting Confederate prisoners to Louisville, Kentucky, in 1863, she was noticed as an intelligent, resourceful soldier by the commander of the 25th Michigan Infantry, Colonel Mundy. Being in need of such a soldier, he had Pvt. Martin detailed to the 25th Infantry. Pvt. Martin won the respect of his superior officers very quickly and was considered an asset to the regiment.
Her secret was discovered after a short time with the 25th Michigan Regiment. A soldier who had been raised in her hometown recognized her, remembering not only her but her parents as well. He reported her to the regimental commander. She pleaded to be allowed to remain and serve. Her pleas, along with her past record as a good soldier, convinced the commander of the 25th to allow her to remain in the regiment.
She informed the regimental officers that she had discovered a great number of women soldiers in the army and was even personal friends with a woman lieutenant. She also stated that she had assisted in burying three female soldiers during the battles in which she had fought. The women’s gender was unknown to anyone but herself.
She was allowed to continue with the regiment by working in the hospital for the remainder of the war.
13
Lizzie Compton: Woman Soldier
As we have seen, some female soldiers were so determined to fight in the war that they would re-enlist in another regiment each time they were discovered or were in fear of being discovered. The woman soldier who holds the record for re-enlisting in the most regiments is Lizzie Compton.
Lizzie Compton was born in a rural area near Nashville, Tennessee, in 1848. Her parents died when she was an infant and she was left in the care of people whom she described as “unfeeling wretches.” She was put into the fields to work at an early age and never received an education or any religious training, and was never tutored in the duties associated with running a household.
As a child she wore a frock and had never fully dressed in women’s clothing. When she reached the age of 13 she escaped the drudgery of the life which was forced on her and left home dressed as a boy. She found work as a deck hand on the steamboats of the western rivers.
Lizzie was only 13 years old when the Civil War began. When she reached the age of fourteen, she enlisted in the Union army by falsifying her age and using a male name. The alias she used is not known. She adapted well to army life and became a good fighting soldier.
She became skilled with the use of a musket, and understood the army rules and regulations. S
he loved camp life and enjoyed being with her comrades.
Lizzie Compton was five feet tall, weighed 155 pounds, had a stout build, light brown hair, and a fair complexion. Though she had no formal education or religious training, she displayed a high moral code of ethics.
Her first battle was the Battle of Mill Springs, Kentucky. She watched the fall of General Felix Kirk Zollicoffer at Logan’s Crossroads. General Zollicoffer was killed during his first battle.
Lizzie and her entire company were captured by the guerrilla Morgan and was later paroled. This was the first taste of war for Lizzie. She later stated that she was “skeered” in the first battle but never since. She stated that she had done nothing to make her think that she would go to a bad place in the next life and she was not afraid to die.
Lizzie Compton fought in the Battle of Mill Springs, Kentucky, on January 19, 1862, the Battle of Fort Donelson on February 13–16, 1862, the Battle of Shiloh on April 6–7, 1862, and the Battle of Gettysburg July 1–3, 1863. She is known to have served in seven different regiments in the 18 months she was in the army. She served in the 11th Kentucky Cavalry, 21st Minnesota Infantry, the 8th, 17th, and 28th Michigan Infantry, the 79th New York Infantry and the 3rd New York Cavalry.
While serving in the western theater, she once accepted a dare from her comrades to ride a horse which none of them were brave enough to try. She accepted the challenge and mounted the horse without a saddle. She was thrown to the ground and injured. The doctor who was tending her injury discovered that she was a woman. After her recovery, she was discharged. She usually changed regiments when she was in fear of being discovered but this was the first time a doctor discovered her secret.
Women in the Civil War Page 7