Finding Frances: My Quest to Discover the True Frances Hook

It's hard to believe my book has been out for a year now.  And as with anyone who completes a major project, I came to realize regrets.  There was even a sense of helplessness.  I can't tell you how many times I and others read over my manuscript....only to miss a typo on the first page of Chapter 1.  We missed it......every....single....time during the editing process.  I thought we had caught everything, but of course when I took that nice, crisp, sweet-smelling brand new book out of the box for the very first time and opened it, there it was.  Indeed, I happened to open right to it, and there was that glaring typo, staring back at me with its mocking grin.  &*#%$#!!!!!

As for regrets, perhaps that is too strong of a word.  It's more like a desire to offer more detail and insight into my research process, whether in the main text itself or in the notes section.  I did indeed cite every account I shared.  They are in parenthetical form because I had to condense down my citations from over 500 to 250 in order to have hyperlinked notes in the ebook format.  But they are all there  And if a reader has a question, the individual can simply follow my sources.  However, upon further reflection, I wish I would have offered a more detailed explanation as to how I arrived at some of my conclusions.  One involved the discovery of Frances Hook's true identity, Elizabeth Quinn.

Illinois Congressman Mentions Women Soldiers on the Floor of US Senate

William Richardson served in various political offices in Illinois beginning in 1836.  Ten years later, he enlisted in the military and fought in the Mexican War as a captain before earning a promotion to major.  After the war, he settled in Quincy, Illinois and then headed west to serve as governor of the Nebraska Territory in 1858.  Following his resignation, Richardson - a Democrat - went to Washington DC to serve in the US Congress.  In 1863, he was elected to fill the Senate seat previously held by Stephen Douglas.

William Richardson

Video: Jennie Hodgers's Name Etched on the Illinois Monument, Vicksburg National Military Park

Next time you visit the battlefield in Vicksburg, find the name of "Albert D. J. Cashier" on a tablet inside the Illinois monument.  That is the male alias of Jennie Hodgers who served throughout the war in the 95th Illinois Infantry.  In this video, I show you where it is.  How many more such names do we gaze upon that are actually hidden women?

Until next formation....rest.

Shiloh Revisited

You may have read or heard about the woman soldier whose body was discovered at Shiloh in 1934.  I wrote a brief post about her several years ago.  The title was "Woman of Shiloh."  But then I had to change the name to "WOMEN of Shiloh" when I discovered that she was not the only one who had lost her life in that terrible battle.  Click [HERE] to read the post.

When I first started researching women soldiers of the Civil War over ten years ago, I felt that a lot of the accounts were not complete and that there was more to learn.  Dissatisfied, I set out to try to find answers.  And thus, Mark and I have embarked on quite a few adventures.  I'm sure he is growing weary of my incessant queries.  How?  Who?  Where? When? Why?  WHy??  WHY????  It's as if I have regressed back to my toddler days or something.  Thankfully, Mark is very patient and I would not have learned nearly as much as I have without his expertise in everything military.  But, I can't help that I'm inquisitive and enjoy sleuthing.   Naturally, the Mystery Woman of Shiloh has always been on my radar.  And even though she will always remain an enigma, please allow me to indulge in my geekiness nevertheless. 

The Town She Left Behind - Frances Hook's La Moille, Illinois

Mark and I stopped by woman soldier Frances Hook's hometown yesterday.  Located in Bureau County in northern  Illinois, La Moille was settled in the 1830's and named for the Lamoille River Valley in Vermont.  Yes, Lamoille is another spelling.  I have also seen it listed as LaMoille with no space.  As for the pronunciation - well, I discovered I had been saying it "wrong" the whole time.  Down here along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the French Canadian influences can be readily seen and heard in the names of our towns and surnames of the people.  So I naturally wanted to pronounce La Moille like what I was used to.  Nuh uh.  It's la - MOIL, as in the last part rhymes with oil like you put in your vehicle.  And now it's going to be difficult to change the way I say it because I had been pronouncing it a certain way for so long.  Plus, we  Southerners have problems saying "oil."  Just ask us.