Frances Clayton
Frances Clayton was discharged in January 3, 1863. According to They Fought Like Demons: Women Soldiers in the Civil War (Blanton, D. A., 2003), a guerilla army attacked her train on her way back to Minnesota and stole all of her papers and belongings. It was noted that she received help from former soldiers and friends to receive her husband’s bounty. Upon her discharge, 6 different newspaper articles published her story with various and inconsistent details. According to sources, she tried to re-enlist in the army several times. It was last reported that Frances was headed towards Washington D.C. There are no records of what happened to her after this feat. It is not known whether Frances enlisted in the army again but regardless, she made history by showing her great courage and dedication to what she longed to represent.
Late Life
Article Listing of Civil War Soldier Albert D. J. Cashier, aka, Jennie Irene Hodges
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Accounts and sources about Frances vary from one another. Her story was published in newspaper articles after she was discharged from service, although these documents cannot be found today. Some articles state that Frances was wounded at the Battle of Stone’s River, the same battle that she watched her husband die before her eyes. It’s said that she was discovered while her wounds were being treated. However, on November 1863, at an interview with a reporter for Fincher’s Trade Review, Frances cleared up some confusion about what really happened during her service. She reported having been wounded at the battle at Fort Donelson but was able to keep her identity a secret. It is not known how, but Frances was eventually found out.
As Shown on the Left: Discharge Document for a Soldier with "Sexual Incompatibility."
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