Residents of La Moille did not see trains run through their town until after the Civil War. Therefore, travelers journeyed approximately five miles south to Arlington through which the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy (CB&Q) line ran. This is more than likely what Elizabeth Quinn did.
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| View of the tracks in Arlington looking east to Chicago |
The map above shows the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy route in 1859. Arlington is outlined in red. Chicago is on the far right, approximately 100 miles away.
The map below is a smaller version of the one above and shows just the route between Arlington and Chicago.
By the way, you can pretty much follow this route - the one taken by a woman soldier - if you book a trip on Amtrak's California Zephyr or Southwest Chief. Princeton is the closest station on the route today. It's approximately 20 miles west of Arlington. You can see it on the map above on the far left and outlined in blue.
That's how Elizabeth Quinn got to Chicago. And when she stepped off the train in the Windy City, she became Eliza Miller, Frances Hook, and "Frank Miller." So the next question is why. I'm sure a sense of adventure was one factor that led her east and, ultimately, into the ranks as a soldier. However, my research is pointing towards a life in La Moille that was rather tumultuous as she was surrounded by betrayal, infidelity, vengeance, and greed. The details of which are enough to cause Hollywood screenwriters to salivate. And they wouldn't even need to make anything up! The truth is captivating enough. And it was a truth that was too much for Elizabeth Quinn. Eager to be free from it all, she transformed herself into Eliza Miller (later Frances Hook) and headed east in search of a new life, a quest that ultimately led her into the ranks as a soldier, Private "Frank Miller."
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| Library of Congress |
Until next formation.....rest.
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