Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-11-22
Sheridan and the Women Soldiers

During the early part OF 1863, the Gen.
Sheridan division was quietly settled in
headquarters in its camp south of Muir
freesboro While there he witnessed this
cErious incident:
"Cola Conrad, Of the Fifteenth Missouri
informed me that he got through with
out much difficulty; in fact, that every
thing had gone all right and been emil
nently satisfactory, except while return
ing he had beer mortified by the conduct
of two females belonging to the detach-
ment and division train at my head
quarters. These women, he said, had
given much annoyance by getting drunk
and to some extent demon aiizing his men.
To say that was aston1shed at this state
ment would be a mild way of putting it,
and had I not known him to be a most
upright man and of sound sense, I should
have doubtdd not only his veracity, but
his sanity. Inquiring who they were and
for further details, [ was informed that
thern certainly were in the commanu swh
females that in some mysterious mann er
had attached themselves to the service as
soldiers; thai one, an east Tennessee
woman. was q teamster in the division
wagon train, and the other a private in a
| cavalry company, temporarily attached
to my headquarters for escort duty.
While out on the foraging expedition
| these AmaZoEs had secured supply Of
apple jack, by some means, got very
drunk, and on their return had fallen in
to Stone river and been nearly drowned
After they had been fished from the water
in the process of recusitation their sex
was disclosed, though up TO this time If
appeared to be known only TO each other
| The story was straight and the circum-
| stanses clear, so convinced of Conrad's
continued sanity, directed the provost
marshall to bring under arrest to my
headquarters the two disturbers of Con-
RAIDS peace Of mind. After some little
search the Tennessee woman was found
in camp, somewhat the worse for the ex-
| perience of the day before, but awaiting
her fate contentedly smoking COO pipe
She was brought to me and put in dur
ance under charge Of the division sur
/ geOn. Until her companion could be Sc
cured. To the doctor she related that the
year before she had refEgeed from cas-;
Tennessee, and on arriving at Louisville
she had assumed mans apparel an6
sought and found employment as a team
ster in the quarte1m aster's department
Her features were very large and sc
COARSE and masculine was her general ap
pearance that she would have readily pass
ed as a man, and in her case, the decep-
tion was no doubt, easily practiced. Mex
day the s'she dragoon" was caught anc
! proved to be q rather pre- possessing young
woman, and though necessarily bronzoo
and hardened by exposure, l doubt il
even with these marks of campaigning
| she could have deceived as her com panion
How the two got acquainted, | Lever
learned, ano though they joined the armJ
separately and Independently, ye- au in
timacy had sprung up between them long
before tbs foras ing mishap. They borf
~ere forwarded III army headquarters
and when provided with clothing SAT-
able for their sex, sent back to Nashville
and thence beyond our lines to Louis
| vile.