Sophronia Smith Hunt (; October 1846—August 1, 1928) was an American woman who disguised herself as a man and secretly served as a soldier in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. Her first soldier husband died after he was wounded at the

Battle of Jenkins' Ferry The Battle of Jenkins' Ferry, also known as the Engagement at Jenkins' Ferry, was fought on April 30, 1864, at Jenkins' Ferry, southwest of Little Rock (present-day Grant County, Arkansas), during the American Civil War. Although the battle en ...

. They served in the 29th Iowa Infantry Regiment.

Early life and education

Sophronia Allen, daughter of Cyrus and Eunice (née Lewis) Allen, was born in October 1846, probably in Illinois. She had a rudimentary education. She married James Andrew Jackson Smith on September 4, 1863.

Civil War service

DeAnne Blanton writes that the existence of women soldiers such as Hunt "was no secret during or after the Civil War"; however, newspaper articles about them provided "few specific details about the individual woman's army career". According to the ''

Sioux City Journal The ''Sioux City Journal'' is the daily newspaper and website of Sioux City, Iowa. Founded in 1864, the publication now covers northwestern Iowa and portions of Nebraska and South Dakota. The Journal has won numerous state, regional and nation ...

'', "Hunt was one of an estimated 400 women who dressed as a man and served on the front lines for the Union Army during the Civil War." She enlisted in Company C, 29th Iowa Infantry Regiment, alongside her husband, in January 1864. After being found out about a month later, she was allowed to remain with the regiment as a battlefield nurse. The 29th Iowa Infantry regiment fought at the Battle of Jenkins Ferry at the end of April 1864, where her husband lost a leg in battle and subsequently died as a POW. She left the army, never having been wounded in battle.

Later life, death, and memorial

After mustering out, she married John Hunt, another Iowa veteran of the war. The couple had eight children, only one of whom survived her. She died August 1, 1928, at

Sioux City, Iowa Sioux City () is a city in Woodbury and Plymouth counties in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 85,797 in the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Iowa. The bulk of the city is in Woodbury County, ...

, at age 81 years, 10 months. Installed 88 years after her death, her

headstone A headstone, tombstone, or gravestone is a stele or marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. It is traditional for burials in the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim religions, among others. In most cases, it has the deceased's name, da ...

carries the words: "Civil War Veteran." Tim Gallagher writes in the ''Sioux City Journal'':

Early life and education

Civil War service

Later life, death, and memorial

See also

Notes

References

Further reading