New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1880-02-18

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e EDIfl
lion, and having no one to consult
but her own will, she pursued the
bent Of her inclination. With her:
somewhat limited means, she pur.
chased the material, and, whenever
opportunity offered she made herself
4 complete suit Of men s clothes,
which she hid in stack Of hay IN.
time as she could adopt them
without being discovered. Having
completed her arrangements, she
announced her determination to
seek better wages, and took her de.
parture. Stealthily donning the
male attire, she started for the re-
cruiting station, where she offered
herself as young man DESTROYS Of
entering the army, was accepted,
and enrolled as the first recruit in
Capt. Thayer's company. The name
under which she was enrolled was
Robert Shirtliffe, and the period Of
her enlistment was for the war.
While the company was recruiting
she was an inmate of the captains
family, and by her exemplary con.
duct won the esteem Of all. A young
girl, who was visiting in the family,
was much in the company of Ro.
bert, and being of a coquettish dis
position, and priding herself, per
haps, in the conquest Of the young
soldier, she suffered her partiality
to be noticed, and Robert having
no objections to see how easily a
maiden's heart might be won, en-.
couraged the feeling, until the cap.
tain's wife, becoming alarmed, took
occasion to demonstrate with the
youth upon the subject. Robert
took the matter in good part, and
the affair ended in the interchange
of some few tokens of remembrance
at parting.
At the end of six or seven weeks,
the company, being full, was ordered
to join the main army, and Roberts's
military life commenced in earnest.
The record does not give the details
Of her career, alt hough the reminis.
censes of life in camp; and in the
field, under such circumstances,
would prove intensely interesting.
She herself has said, that volumes
might be filled with them. She per-
formed her duties to the entire salts.
faction of her officers; was volun.
teer on several expeditions of ha.
zardous nature, and was wounded
severely, first by a sword cut on the
side Of her head, and afterwards by
a bullet through her shoulder. This
latter wound caused her great un-
easiness, for fear her sex would be
discovered when it was examined,
but to her satisfaction she escaped,
strange as it may seem; and strang.
er still. during the three gears she
served, no suspicion was awakened
among her comrades. They had
noticed her lack of beard, and in
playful allusion to the deficiency,
had called her "Molly," but little
did they dream that their gallant
comrade was indeed a woman.
circumstances at last, however,
revealed the secret, greatly to her
modification, and the no less great
establishment of her officers and fel.
low soldiers. She was taken with
a brain fever, a desease prevalent in
camp, and was sent to the hospital
where her case was deemed hopeless.
On one occasion, the doctor, while
visiting her, attempting to put his
hand upon her heart to see if life
still remained, found a bandage fast.
ened tightly across the breast; upon
removing which he discovered that
his patient was a woman. Without
communicating the fact to any one,
he continued to attend her until she
was sufficiently recovered to be re.
moved to his own house, where every
attention and kindness was shown
her until her recovery. While an
inmate of the doctors house, an.
other romantic episode in her lif,
occurred, A niece of the doctors
ayoung and wealthy lady, who had
nursed her during her illness, felt i.
strong attachment for the object OF
her care, and with the frankness of
youth, thinking, doubtless, that the
poor and friendless soldier would
never dare to aspire to one so gifted
by fortune, made known her feel.
lngs, and offered to educate their OBJ
ject before marriage. The doctor
was highly censured for allowing
them to be so much together, but
laughed in anticipation at the dis
comfture of his advisers when the
truth should be known. The feel.
ings of Robert, on this occasion,
were of the most acute and painful
nature, and she was sadly tempted
to reveal the true state of the case,
but modesty land the fear of ridicule,
or some other motive, deferred her.
She told tho oanaro,,s r;rl howoy
er, that although she earnestly de-.
sired to possess an education, yet
she could not avail herself of the
brilliant and tempting offer, but
they should meet again. The young
lady urged upon her acceptance, be:
fore parting, several articles of wear.
ing apparel, and other gifts, as tok.
ems of remembrance.
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