Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1860-03-17
A Woman Solaier. .

"a hienu vi mine recently called at the
Pension Office, for the purpose of asccrtaining
II the name of Robert Shurlietf could be
found on the public records as soldier in the
Revolutionary War. The Commissioner cx-
pressed his doubts, but an examination was
made and there the name was found, as be-
longing not only to soldier but also to a pen
sioner. Among the rare volumes to be found
in my frieud's library, C wish L could say
mino,) is one giving the history of the person
who bore the above name, but whose real
maiden name was Deborah Sampson 1t is
entitled "The Female Review, or Memoirs
of an American Young Lady" and was pub
lishcd in Dedham, Massachusetts, in 1877,
and the following are.the leading facts in the
history of this remarkable woman:
She was born in Plympton, plymouth coun-
ty, Mass, Dec II, l76U, aud was descend
ent of Governor William Budford. Her ed
ucational advantages were limited, yet she
manifested love for natural philosophy, and
when fifteen years of age four days before
the battle of Lexington, had fantastic dream
about / battle in which a voice told her to 20
forth encounter the enemy, which dream
undoubtedly had an influence on her subSe-
qucnt life. In her nineteenth year she be-
came a school teacher, and continued in that
employment for two years as she ADVANCED
in life she became Visionary; when twenty
one years of age, by way of atrolic, she dressed
herself in mans clothes and cut up some
questionable cGpcrs; and soon after that time,
in 1871, was mustered into the military SER
vice at Worcester, Mass, by the name as
above mentioned, of Robert Shurtlieff. Ere IN
Worcester she went to West Point, and there
received the uniform of a'solderin the light
infantry; she marched to White Plains, and
with her company engaged a party of Dutch
Cavalry at Tarrytown; she was ut Yorktown,
and performed arduous duty during that siege !;
in skirmish with the enemy she was twice
wounded, and lay for time in French hos
pltal; she was one of the detachment sont to
subdue the Indians on the Northern frontier !;
she marched with fifteen hundred men to
Philadelphia to suppress mutiny among. the
American soldiers, where she was taken sick
and confined to hospital, and where she was
discovered to be woman. After her rccov.
cry, in the garb of gentleman, she performed
Il tour into the mountainous region of Virgin
ia; and while on a hunt for bufiulocs with
the Indians, Mt night, in an Indian camp, she
shot through the heart an Indian whom she
suspected of evil designs; and after returning
to the East, was honoulbly discharged in 1888
from the army and resumed her female attire.
phc subsequently hlarrlcu, ana Wnle bearing
the name of Deborah Gunnctt, was rewarded
for her services both by the State of Mnssu
chusetts and the General Government auu
died April 27, 1S27-it having been believed
that her wounds were the immediate cause OF
her death. The book from which these facts
are taken belongs to Col Peter Force, who
has published in the Historical Magazine
ample evidence of the truth of what Is here
recorded. = Chu$. LaUn0A to tie ~ ]. O5
serUcr.