Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1888-12-08
Sheridan and the Women Sol
dierS.

sheridan ana the Women Sol
diers.
During tho early p&rt of 1868 tn,
Gen. Sheridan division was quietly set
tied in quarters in its camp south o
Murfreesboro. While there he wit
messed this curious incident:
Col Conrad. of the Fifteenth Mis-
souri,, informed me that he go
through without much difficulty; il
fact that everything had gone all
right and been emmently satisfactory,
except that in returning he had beer
mortified by the conduct OF the two
females belonging to the detachment
and division train at my headquarters.
These women. he said. had given much
annoyance by getting drunk, and tc
some extont demoralizing his mon. To
say that was astonished at his state
ment would be mild way of putting
it and had | not known him to be a
most upright man and of sound sense,
l should have doubted not only his ve-
racity. but his sanity. Inquiring who
they were and for further details. ]
was informed that there certainly were
in the command two females that in
some mysterious manner had attached
themselves to the service as soldiers;
that one, IN East Tennessee woman, wa,
teamster in the division wa gon train,
and the other private soldier in cav.
airy company temporarily attached tc
my headquarters for escort duty.
While out on the foraging ex
petition these Amazons had Sc.
cured a supply of 'apple-iack'
by some means, got very drunk, ane
on the return had fallen into Stone
river and been nearly drowned. After
they had been iished from the water,
in the process of resuscitation their
sex was disclosed. though up to this
time it appeared to be known only tc
each other. The story was straight
and the circumstances clear, so con.
WINGED of Conrad's continued sanity, ]
directed the provost marshal to bring
in arrest to my headquarters the two
disturbers of Conrad peace OF mind.
After some little search the East Ten.
nessee woman was found in camp,
somewhat the worse for the experience
of the day before. but awaiting her
fate contentediy a.noNing cob pipe.
She was brought to me and put in du.
ress under charge of the division sur
geon until her companion should be
secured. 10 the doctor she related
that the year before she had .refuqeeAi
from East Tennessee, and on arriving
at Louisville she had assumed mans
apparel and sought and obtained EN-.
ployment as a teamster in the quarter
masters department Her features
were so large, and so coarse and
was her general appearance
that she would readily have passed as
man, and in her case the deception
was no doubt easily practieed. Next .
lay the she dragon was caught and
proved TO be a rather prepossessing
young woman. and though necessarily
oronzed and hardened by exposure. |
doubt if. even with these marks of
campaigning. she could have deceived
IS did her companion. How the two
got acquainted l never learned, and
though they Joined the army independ-
'ntly OF each other, yet an intimacy
lad sprung up between them long be-
ore the mishaps of the fol4.ino ex-
They both were forwarded
Q army headquarters. and when pro-
'ided with clothing suitable to their
lex, sent back to Nashville. and thence
'eyond our lines to Louisville" -
'hertdan's Personal Memoirs.