Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-03-24
A Female Soldier.


Nor long since Adjutant- General Baker
received letter of inquiry asking about
q. certain soldier in the oath Iowa infantry.
The tone of the letter was so peculiar as
to attract considerable attention and Gre
ate much comment in the office. In re-
ply the general stated that the records
of the regiment were in his Office, and
the record Of the soldier, whom, for the
sake of convenience we will call Smith,
although that is far from the real name.
A few days afterwards gentleman from
Northern Iowa appeared at the office, in
quired for General Baker, found that
character, and was closeted with him long
enough to divulge the following singular
tale: When the war broke out Miss
Mary Smith, daughter of the Generals
visitor, was residing in Ohio, working for
a farmer in the kitchen. Her fathers
family had moved to Iowa the fall preced-
ing the attack on Sumter, leaving Mary
behind to follow in the spring Various
causes conspired TO delay her departure
for her new Iowa home until autumn, and
it was September before she landed at
Muscatine, from which place she expected
to travel by land to her fathers house.
She was large-sized, hearty looking girl,
eighteen years of age. Arriving at Mus
catine some strange freak induced her to
assume mans apparel and enlist in the
Gath infantry, then In rendezvous at that
city. She did this without exciting any
suspicion, burned all her feminine gar
ments and papers, neglected to inform her
friends, either in Iowa or Ohio, Of her ar
rival on Hawkeye soil, and became a
soldier. Some comment was elected
by her beardless face and girlish
appearance, but as she did her
duty promptly and we'll, was particu.
larly handy in cooking and taking care of
the sick, the young warrior speedily be-
came great favOrite, alike with officers
and men. She passed through all the
campaigns in which the regiment was en-
gagged without scratch, except a close
Roads, which took the skin of the back
bers of the regiment for President in 1864,
and was finally. mustered out with her
comrades at the close of the war. When
she was discharged she procured female
apparel-although, in doing 80, she was
obliged to make a confdant of one of her
own sex-and procured work in Illinois,
not far from Rock Island. Six months
elapsed before the tan of five summers
wore off, and when she had again become
white" and had re learned the almost
forgotten customs of womanhood, she pre-.
sented herself at her fathers house, where
she was received with open arms. To all
the questions which were asked by the va
rious members of the family concerning
her whereabouts for so many years she re-
fused to make any answer, only replying
that she had been honestly employed, and
had never forsaken the right way, She
had been economical in the army
and invested several hundred dollars
in land in Northern Iowa, which
rapidly appreciated in value, and
to-day she is well enough off TO be
beyond the reach of want. With the re.
mainder of her money she attended school
Last January, a worthy, man, who had
been in the same regiment, but in differ
ent company, made her an offer ofmarriage
Like true woman she was unwilling to
Fbestow her hand when any part of her for
mer life was unknown, and before accept
ing the offer, she made TO him a full reve
lation of her soldier days. At first he
could not believe it, but when she pro
ceeded to narrate events and incidents
which could be known only to active par
ticipants in them, told of marches, camps
skirmishes, battles, and the thousand ano
one things which never appear in print
but which everremain living pictures with
"our soldiers" he was Obliged TO accep
the strange tale as true. The story, how
ever, did not lessen his regard for her, anG
about the first of February they were mar
ried. The lady's father, who learned thu
tale of her life when she made 1t plain Il
her would-be husband, was still incredu
lous, and only satisfied himself of its truth
! by a visit to the Adjutant Generals oftic,
and an inspection ofthe records. BY com
paring dates furnished him by his daugh
ter with the original rolls there on file h
became fully convinced that 1t was al
true.-Des Holmes, Iosea, State Register.