Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1866-04-06
Romance of the War-Thrilling Ad-
ventures of Young and Beautiful
Woman.

Among the many thrilling events of
the late war (says the St. Louis Repub-
Hcan of the 7th), none can exceed the
adventures of Mrs. Loretta De Camp,
the subject Of this sketch. Mrs. De
Camp, whose maiden name was Roach,
was born in the West Indies in 1888,
and is now about twenty eight years of
age. AT any early period her parents
moved to the United States and settled in
the Parish of st. James, Louisiana. The
current of her life ran smoothly ON until
the outbreak of the war for Southern
independence, when, fired by enthusiasm
in, as she thought, the cause Of liberty,
she donned the male attire, and was
among the first to rush to arms. Raising
a company of cavalry, and equipping it
at her own expense, she proceeded to
Virginia and there served for eight
months on the Peninsula, under the
command Of the celebrated Colonel
Dreux, before her sex was discovered.
When this occurred she was at sonce
mustered out and ordered home. Instead
of obeying the order, she proceeded to
Columbus, Kentucky, and was serving
with General Polk at the evacuation of
that place. She proceeded to Island
No. 10, but not being satisfied with the
manner in which affairs were conducted
there, she left and went to Fort Pillow,
where sue was elected First Lieutenant
in Captain Phillips Company ofsInde-
pendent Tennessee Cavalry. With her
company she proceeded to Corinth and
reported to General A. S. johnson. AT
the battle of Shiloh Captain Philips fell
mortally wounded, and the command
then devolved on her. While calamity
leading her company in charge, she
was twice wounded and carried from the
field. After the retreat from Corinth
she was taken to New Orleans for
surgical treatment, and when the city
fell into the Federal hands she was
among those taken prisoner. After a
confinement of several months she was
paroled and soon after exchanged.
Proceeding at once to Richmond, the
disguised female soldier was commission
ed First Lieutenant in the Adjutant
Generals department, and ordered to
report to General Marcus j. Wright,
commanding the district of Atlanta.
Upon reporting, she was assigned to
duty with the Provost Marshal, as chief
of detectives and military conductor
Serving for several months in this capa-
city, she met Major Do Camp, Of the
Third Arkansas Cavalry, to whom she
was engaged to be married previous to
the war. The ceremony was then per-
formed at Atlanta, and from the dashing
Lisatenant Roach she was transformed
to tho sober Mrs. Major De Camp.
From this time her services ceased as an
officer in the field, and she was engaged
in secret serviee-sometimes in the
Confederacy, again in England, and
then in Canada. In 1864 she spent
several months travelling IN the United
States, and even went as far as the
Sioux country, in Minnesota. Her hus-
band, who was taken prisoner III the
Fall of 1868, while serving with his
regiment in Georgia, was carried to New
York. After long and arduous siege
she at length succeeded in getting him
.paroled in January, 1865, but he lived
only eight days after his release from
prison. Subsequent to the death of her
husband Gin January, 1867 she pro.
ceeded to Columbus, Ohio, to watch
over the interests of the Confederate
prisoners at Camp Chase.
After the final collapse of the Confed-
eracy, Mrs. De Camp remained in the
North until January, when she returned
to her home in Louisianas-but remain
ing there only few days, she proceeded
to Memphis, and purchased stock OF
goods which were shipped on the i'll
fated steamer Miami, which was blown
up on the Arkansas in February, She
was one Of the two ladies who we're
saved, but with the sacrifice of all her
baggage and goods. BY an unfortunate
oversight on the part of her merchants,
her goods were not insured, aud, con-
sequently, she lost her all.
Mrs. De Camp is now in this city, and
sojourning at the Southern Hotel. Mann
who served in the Confederate army
will remember the dashing Lieutenant
Roach. of whom so much was said In
Mobile and Selma in 1868. Our space
will not permit a full recital of her
nlx