Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-03-16

BAKER received Il letteT OF inquiry
asking about certain soldier in the
Twenty-FOurth Iowa Infantry. The
tone of the letter was so peculiar as
to attract considerable attention and
create much comment in the Office.
In reply 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
afterward gentleman from North
ern Iowa appeared at the office, in
quired for Gen. 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 preceding the
attack on Sumter, leaving Mary be-
hind to follow in the spring. Various
causes conspired to delay her depart
ure for her new Iowa home until
Autumn, and it was September be-
fore 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. Arriv-
ing at Muscatine some strange freak
induced her to assume mans apparel
and enlist in the Twenty-Fourth
Infantry, then in rendezvous at that
city. She did this without exciting
any suspicion, burned all her femi-
nine garments and papers, neglected
to inform her friends, either in Iowa
or Ohio, of her arrival on Hawkeye
soil, and became a soldier. Some
comment was elicted by her beard
less face and girlish appearance, but
as she did her duty promptly and
well, was particularly handy in
cooking and taking care of the sick,
the young warrior speedily became a
general favorite alike with officers
and men. She passed through all
the campaigns in which the regiment
was engaged without a scratch, ex-
cept close call from a minnie ball
at Sabine's Cross Roads which took
the skin off Of the back of her left
hand, voted with the other members
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 pro-
cured female apparel-although in
doing SO she was obliged to make a
confidant of one Of her own sex-and
procured work in Illinois, not far
from Rock Island. Six months
elapsed before the tan Of five sum-
mers wore off, and when she had
again become "white," and had re-
learned the almost forgotten customs
of womanhood, she presented herself
at her fathers house, where she was
received with open arms. TO all the
questions which were asked by the
various members of the family con-
corning her whereabouts for so many
years she refused to make any an
swer, 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 increased in value, and to
day she is well enough off to be
beyond thereach of want. With the
remainder Of her money she attended
school. Last Januarya worthy man,
who had been i'm the same regiment,
but in different company, made
her an offer of marriage. Like a
true woman she was unwilling to
bestOw her hand when any part of
her former life was unknown, and
before accepting the offer she made
to him a full revelation of her soldier
days. At first he could not believe
it, but when she proceeded to narrate
events and incidents which could be
known only to active participants in
them, told of marches, camps, skirm-
ishes, 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 for her, and about
the first of February they were
married. The lady's father, who
learned the tale of her life when she
made it plain to her would-be hus-
band. was still incredulous, and only
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