  deborah sampson gannett ( december 25 ,1760 â april 29, 1827), better known as deborah sampson, was a woman who disguised herself as a man in order to serve in the continental army during the american revolutionary war. she is part of a small number of women with a documented record of military combat experience in that war.weatherford, doris, american women's history, prentice hall, 1994 she served 17 months in the army, as "robert shurtliffsoldier's secret by sheila solomon klass " of uxbridge, massachusetts, was wounded in 1782 and honorably discharged at west point, new york in 1783. ==early life== deborah sampson was born in the town of plympton, massachusetts, on december 17 , 1760. she was the oldest of seven children born to jonathan sampson, jr. and deborah bradford sampson, both of old colonial stock. her mother was a descendant of william bradford, once governor of plymouth colony. her siblings were jonathan, elisha, hannah, ephraim, nehemiah, and sylvia. when deborahâs father failed to return from a sea voyage, her mother, unable to provide for her children, placed them in various households. she was first placed in the home of her aunt, who died shortly thereafter. afterwards, she was placed in the home of the widow of reverend peter thatcher until 1770, when she was removed to the home of deacon jeremiah thomas, at the age of ten. deacon thomas had a farm in middleborough, ma and a large family, with ten sons. at age 18, when her time as an indentured servant was over, the self-educated deborah made a living by teaching school during the summer sessions in 1779 and 1780 and by weaving in the winter. ==wars and battles== in 1780, she first had the idea of enlisting in the army as a continental soldier. women were not allowed to do this, so she disguised herself as a man. she had little difficulty passing as a man because she was five feet seven inches in height, which was tall for a woman. on may 20, 1782, she successfully enlisted in the army on the muster of master noah taft of uxbridge, under the name of her deceased brother, robert shurtlieff sampson, and gave his/her residence as uxbridge, massachusetts. her signature still exists in the massachusetts records. at this time, her mother was trying to get sampson to marry a wealthy suitor but declined to continue in the arm
1760_births 1827_deaths 18th_century_in_LGBT_history Continental_Army_soldiers Female_wartime_cross-dressers Massachusetts_militiamen_in_the_American_Revolution People_from_Plymouth,_Massachusetts People_from_Sharon,_Massachusetts People_from_Uxbridge,_Massachusetts People_of_Massachusetts_in_the_American_Revolution Women_in_the_American_Revolution Women_in_the_United_States_Army