Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1866-03-23
Romance oftl!e War-T!irliing Adventures
Of q Young and Beautiful Woman.

Among the many thrilling events of the late
war (says the st. Louis Republican of the
18th, none can exceed the adventures of Mrs
Loretta De Camp, the subject of this sketch
Mrs. Dc Camp, whose maiden name was
Roach, was boru in the West Indies, in 1888,
and IS now about twenty-eight years of age
st an 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, fred
by enthusiasm in, as she thought, the cause
Of liDe4y, she donned the male attire, and
was ansong the first to rush to arms. Rails
ING company Of cavalry, and equipping it
at her own expense, she proceeded to Vir-,
glnia, and there served eight months on the
Peninsula under the command Of the aacele-
brated Colonel Dreux, before her sex was
discovered. When this occurred she was
at once mustered out and ordered home. In
stead Of obeying the order, she proceeded to
Columbus, Kentucky, and was serving with
General Polk at the evacuation ofthat place.
She proceeded to Island No. 10. but not be-
ing satisfied with the manner in which affairs
were conducted there, she left and went to
Fort Pillow, where she was elected First
Lieutenant in Captain Phillips Company Of
Independent Tennessee Cavalry. With her
company she proceeded to Corinth, and re-
ported to General 4. S. Johnston. At the
battle Of Shiloh Captain Philips fell MORALLY
wounded, and the command then devolved
on her While CALAMITY leading her compa-
ny in a 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 parolod, and soon after ex-
changed
Proceeding at once to Richmond, the dis
guised female soldier was commissioned LIST.
lieutenant in the Adiutant Generals de-
partmcnt, and ordered TO report to General
Marcus }. Wright, commanding the district
Of Atlanta. Upon reporting, she was as
signed to duty with the Provost Marshall, as
chief Of detectives and military conductor.
Serving for several months in this capacity,
she met Major De Camp, Of the Sd Arkansas
cavalry, to whom she was engaged to be mar
ried previous to the war The ceremony
was then performed at Atlanta, and from the
dashing Lieutenant Roach she was trans
ferred to the sober Mrs. Major De Camp
From this time her services ceased as all Of
ficer in the field, and she was engaged in Sc
cret service sometimes in the Confcderacy,
again in England, and then in Canada In
1864 she spent several months travelling in
the United States, and even went rs far as
Sioux county in Minnesota. Her husband,
who was taken prisoner in the fall Of 1868,
while serving with his regiment in Georgia,
was carried to New York After long and
arduous soigo she at length succeeded in get
ting 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, 1868 she proceeded
to Columbus, Ohio, to watch over the inter
ests Of the Confederate prisoners confined at
Camp Chase
After the final collapse Of the Confectionery
Mrs. De Camp remained in the North until
January, when she returned to her home in
Louisiana; but remaining there only a few
days, she proceeded to Memphis and pur-
chased stock Of goods, which were shipped
on the ill-fated steamer Miami, which was
blown up on the Arkansas in February
She was one of the two ladies who were 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 in
sured, and, consequently, she lost her ALL
Mrs. De Camp is now in this city, and So
journing at the Southern Hotel Many who
served in the Confederate army will remem-
Der the dashing Lieut., Roach, Of whom so
much was said il Mobile and Selma in 1868.
Our space will not permit full recital of her
adventures.