Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1871-05-18

asking about certain soldier il the
Twenty Fourth Iowa IntaHtry. The
,tene OF the letter was 50 peculiar as
.t0aattract considerable attention and
create much comment in the osl;ce.
ln.reply the General stated that tho
records OF the regiment were IN his
etfice, aad the record Of the soldier,
whom, for the sake Of convenience
we will call Smith, although that IL
far from the real name. A few days
afterwards genslsman form north
ern Iowa appeared at tho Office and
inquired Tor Gen. Baker, found that
character, and was closcted with him
long enough to divulge the follow.
ing singular tale:
When the war broke out Miss
Mary Smith, daughter OF the Gen.r.
ais visitor, was residing in Ohio,
working for farmer in his kitchen.
her fathers family had moved to
Iowa the tall preceding the attack on
Sumter, leaving Mary to follow in
The Spring. Various causes .conspir.
ed to decay her d.partare for he.
home until Autumn. aud it WAS Sep
tenber before she landed at Nasca-
tame, from winch place she expected
10 travel by land TO W.. iu,hcr's
house. She was large sized, hearty
looking girl, eiyhteea years OF age.
A r.viny 1t Muscatine, some strange
freak nAuc.d her to assume mans
apparel and enlist in the Twenty
foarth Infantry, then in rendezvous.
= that city. She did this without.
exciting any suspicion, burned all
her feminine garments and papers.
neglected to Inform her friends, eth.
er IN Iowa or Ohio, OF her arrival OH
Hawkeys soil, and became>a soldier.
Some comment was elected by her
bearilehs face aud g,rlish appearance.
but 40 she did her duty promptly and
well, WAS particularly handy in cook
ing and taking care OF the sick, the
young warrior speedily became a
general favorlte alike with officers
aud men. She passed through all
The campaigns in which the regiment
was engaged without q scratch, ex-
cept a ciose call from minnie ball
~ Sabine's Cross Roads which took
the skin of of the back OF his LETT
hand, voted with the other mem. ers
Of the regiment Tor President in
1854, and was finally mustered out
with her comrades at the close Of tho
war. When she VAS discharged che
procured female, apparei-although
IN doing so she was Obliged to make
confident oi one OF her own sex
aud procured work in Illinois, mot
far from Rock Island. SIX months
elapsed beioSe the tan OF five sum-
mers wore Vtf, aud when she had
again become "white,n and had re.
iearned the almost forgotten customs
of wo,nanhood, she presented her.
self at hes fathers house, where she
was received with open arms. To
all the questions which were asked
by the various members OF the fani.
" concerning her whereabouts tor
50 many Yeas she refused TO make
any answer, only replyin that she
had been honestly employed. and had
ne. er forsakem the right way. She
had bsen economical in the army,
aud invested several hundred dollars
III land in northern Iowa which rap.
idly appreciated IN value, and to-day
she is we'll enough off to be beyond
the reach OF want. With the re-
mainder Of her money she attended
school. Last January . worthy man,
who had been in the same regiment,
but in differen. company, made her
an offer OF marriage Like a truu
woman she was unwilling to bestow
her hand when any part ot her for
mer lite was unknown, and before
accepting the offer she made TO him
fuil revelation OF her soldier days.
At first he could not believe it, but
when she proceeded to narratc
events aud incidents wh,ch could
be known only to active participants
in them, told OF marches, camps,
skirmishes, battles, and the thousand
and one things which never appear
in print, but which ever remain living
pictures with 'old soldiers he was
obliged to accept the strange tale as
true. The story, however, did not
lessen his regard tor her, and about
the first OF February they We're mar
ried. The lady's father, who learned
the tale OF her lite when she made it
plain TO her wonld-be husband, was
still incredulous, and only satisfied
himself Of its truth BY a visit to the
Adjutant Generals Office and an in
apectlon Of the records. By compar-
ing dates furnished him by his
daughter with the original rolls there
on file he became fully convinced
thst 1t was all true.--f State Register,
March IL.