The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1891-04-25
SHE CARRIED A GUN.
And That is Why Mrs. Hooker Has APP
piled for a Pension.

And That is Why Mrs. Hooker Has APP
piled for Pension.
One of the finest bits OF romance ever
brought to light is the story of Mrs.
Mary +. Hooker, of Elkhart, who has
applied for a pension on the grounds
that she served throughout the war
dlsgr Used as man and under an alias.
and that at the battle of Antietam She
rec aived wound in the left leg from a
M ME ball which has since resulted in
n er disablement. She appeared before
ne Pension Board here. SAYS Goshen
ind. Special, and when approached by
the correspondent ut first was unwilling
to make public any facts relating 10 her
case, but tinallp told her story.
AT the time | entered the service,
said Mrs. Hooker, Il was 20 Years old,
and living with my widowed mother at
Ilttln, o., where | am vet quite well
acquainted | was a slight girl, but yet
OF sturdy frame, for Twas a great Tom
boy and much given to going off on
larks with my brothers. For two wears
previous to the breaking out of the war
Benjamin B. Brown and myself had
been going together, We're engaged and
shortly to be married. When the war
broke out my lover seemed determined
to go. | pleaded with him to stay with
me. but he said he was ashamed to stay
at home while So many men not as good
as he We're going To the front, and finally
enlisted in Company +, 9TH Regiment
Ohio Volunteers. ! endured the Sepa-
ration for awhile, but hearing that
Charles +. Drury, who had enlisted in
the same company and regiment. de
sired Il substitute, | offered myself, first
assuming mai" attire. Ny offer was
readily accepted, he agreeing t" pay me
$3.50, 500 of which | never received. for
he died while | was in the service. |
joined the regiment and was soon serv-
ing alongside my lover. | had assumed
the name of Charles Drurv, and was SO
known till the close Of the war. Ny sex
was undiscovered all the while ! was in
the service. except by Brown. who. of
course, recognized me as soon AZ he saw
me. | had no trouble in learning the
tactics, for my Younger brother had be
longed To Il militia company and | had
always taken even more interest in the
drilling, etc. than he.
"Our regiment left Camp Denisun
shortly after joined it for Washington,
and from there we went to the battle of
Bull Run. | remained with the rcgi-
ment till | was wounded in the LEG by a
mimic ball at the battle of Antictam,
when | was transferred to an ambulance,
the same which Brown had occupied Il
couple of weeks before and in which he
died. After Brown, : death Twas ltitwith-
out Il friend i'll the regiment who knew
the circumstances of my enlistment.
As soon as | was again able To march.
however, | determined to stick to the
service. | was wounded on the breast
bone by the bursting of Il shell at
Mission Ridge, where ! was captured
and taken along with lot of other
prisoners to Libby Prison. This was
during the worst condition of its man
and my wound. | Iespaircd of ever
coming ont alive. After three weeks,
though, an exchange of pris pncrs was
made, and | returned to my home in
Tiifin. a shadow of my former self.
a few years after the close of the
war WAS married To Richard Ireland. a
veteran of the war. He died within Il
year, and up to my marriage to Mr..
Hooker. which occurred about five years
ago, received a pension as Mr..
Ireland's widow.
Il enjoyed soldier life, all but the
tircsome marches. and was hardly ever
frightened during an engagement |
think ! could carLy Il muSkct now and
drill. too If necessary, but at the time
when | served in the war was slender
and had no trouble in the paSSin" as Il
man; in fact no one knew | was 4 WOm-
an, with the exception of my lover. |
had some narrow escapes, tcuugh, once
when a lot of the boys of our company
were determined | should 90 in bathing
with them. and also when the company
was one night holding mock initiation
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