Clayton, Frances Louisa, approximately 1830-

Frances Louisa Clayton (c. 1830 – after 1863), also recorded as Frances Clalin, was an American woman who purportedly disguised herself as a man to fight for the Union Army in the American Civil war, though many historians now believe her story was likely fabricated. Under the alias Jack Williams, she claimed to have enlisted in a Missouri regiment along with her husband, and fought in several battles. She claimed that she left the army soon after her husband died at Stones River.[1][2] Clayton and her husband were from Minnesota.[4] Her husband's name is not clear; one newspaper story gives it as Frank Clayton, apparently a confusion of Frances' own name, while other sources name him John or Elmer.[5] Following the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, the Claytons decided to enlist in the Union Army, with Frances disguising herself as a man named Jack Williams.[6]

By most accounts, they enlisted in a Missouri unit in Saint Paul, Minnesota,[7] despite being from Minnesota.[6] Clayton is said to have fought in 18 battles In the service, she became an "accomplished horse-man" and a "capital swordsman".[10] She was reported to have fought in the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862.[11] In December 1862, she fought in the Battle of Stones River, where her husband was killed during a charge.[12] The news stories reported that she did not stop fighting, and stepped over his body to continue the charge.[6]

Clayton's story only became known after her service and was reported in several newspaper stories, though these accounts all contain contradictory information.[6] According to these stories, Clayton was discharged in Louisville in 1863, shortly after her husband's death. She told reporters that she was never discovered as a woman.