Frances Hook

Frances Hook (1847–March 17, 1908) claimed that she, disguised as a man, enlisted as a soldier in the Union Army during the U.S. Civil War. She stated her aliases were Pvt. Frank Miller, Frank Henderson, Frank Martin and Frank Fuller.

Early life Frances Hook was born in Illinois in 1847. When she was three years old both of her parents died, leaving only her and her older brother, who brought her up until the start of the Civil War.

At the time the Civil War began, Hook and her brother were living in Chicago, Illinois. When her brother decided to enlist in the Union Army, Hook, not wanting to be left alone, decided to disguise herself as a man and enlisted with her brother.

Her claims of Civil War service

When Hook claimed to have enlisted in the Union Army she was fourteen years old, but says she told recruiters she was twenty-two. She cut her hair and enlisted in the 11th Illinois Infantry Regiment (or the 65th Illinois Home Guard depending on the source) using the alias Private Frank Miller on April 30, 1861. Hook and her brother served their 90-day term without being discovered.

On July 30, 1861, Hook and her brother re-enlisted in the 11th Illinois Infantry

Frances Hook was again discharged and told to go home. The officers who were in charge of sending her home alerted recruitment authorities, "advising them to be on the lookout for her trying to rejoin the service."