In her 1865 autobiography, Nurse and Spy in the Union Army, Emma Edmonds gives a vivid account of life on the battle lines of the Civil War. Emma disguised herself as a man so that she could fight on the front lines as a soldier. In addition, she became a spy for the Union Army. A master of disguise, she penetrated enemy lines no less than eleven times, always with complete success. Fearing discovery, she eventually deserted the army. In 1884, she attended a regimental reunion without her disguise. Urged by her comrades to file for a pension, she took her case to Congress. In 1885, Emma Edmonds was awarded a pension from the army, making her the only recognized woman in the Grand Army of the Republic.