Lot 33
Lot of 2 CDVs featuring the famous yet mysterious Frances Clayton, each with S. Masury, Boston, MA imprint on verso. The first shows Clayton wearing a Union soldier's uniform complete with Hardee hat and a foot officer's sword held down to her side; the second shows Clayton wearing a dark dress with full sleeves and white cuffs.
Along with her husband, Frances L. Clayton (ca 1830-after 1863) enlisted in the Union army, disguising herself as a man in order to join the military. She enlisted in a Missouri regiment under the alias "Jack Williams," serving for almost two years, reportedly in both cavalry and artillery units. Purportedly, her true identity was revealed after she suffered a gunshot wound to the hip at the battle of Fort Donelson. Following the death of her husband at Stones River, Clayton left the army, and once her story was discovered, it was widely circulated by various newspapers. However, much of the information reported was contradictory, and very little is known about this female Civil War veteran.