New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-02
MASQUERADING AS MEN.
A BOOK OF QUAINT BIOGRAPHIES OF
WOMEN.

Inc Ieauefs OF TINS bOOk VIII u" w" !" UNIV"
The editors example in giving only partial credrnec
10 the narratives included in the volume. There
is more than hint Of literary manufacture in
every one Of them. most NOTABLY that o. Mother
Ross" in which the rrctcmsons of authorship on
the part Of the advcnturcr herself reach an an
surd climax As mere camp follower III the
army of MARLBOROUGH she gives elaborate accounts
of battles sirgcs and campaigns. The na1or oil
Grub Street In these intcrludc- Is unmstakahlc
Nevertheless slo was = remarkable character.
From her ch ;ldhood ~ she describes herself, she
preferred masculine sports Her father. brewer
and farmer named Cavanaugh. fought on the Slcc
Of James II AZ the battle OF the BoNnc, 60 that
she may BE- said 10 have inherited taste Tor mill
tary life But this did not bctray Itself IN her
early years Property left her by an aunt en-
abcd her to NARY an impccunions young man.
Richard Welsh and life for her was pleasant
enough until her husband was pressed Tor service
in the Low Countries. 1t long tlinc before
she learned what had become Of him Then she
disposed Of her property as best she conid ana ch-
listed hoping TO he near him. But 1t was tw"iV"
wears before they saw each other again. Mean
while the woman had served N Nh" ranks IL i
common soldier. had become s;inl Win mn'h''
and dcXtcrous at what she called m'r'""'hg'
Some time after they were reunited aHd MIS-
Welsh had resumed th" garments oI h'r -'N ''''
husband was killed. Then she became known H.
Neither Ross and subsequently married al i'aS'
two husbands the last Of whom. ono D'Nlc''
ended life with her at Chelsea liospit1. Inc
,vor,, ,vas said 70 he los years old At the time of
her death She seems TO have been httrd III "N'N
way 10 masquerade a. nan. Her hanl'N "''
rudo and coarse from the. nr>t: she was mns"rlar
and COURAGEOUS could march. fght. drink ana
swear with the worst Of her comrades. ana '"f'
i testimony somewhere That with the army in
Flanders the swearing was no LIGHT matter T'r-
hans her most surprising adventure WAS u''' IL
behalf of vounc woman WHO had Ia!ce III low
with hcr. believing Ter to p" man. 0'''
wounded her opponent severely, MT WIS niue
disturbed later hy an oIc7 Of marria-' rom ''''
infatuated cirl.
rho bioor,olios IN the hook are disposed IN
almost inverse chronological order. f','ihi ""'N
,bo, fror, Christian Davies the next hcroin" -
Mary Anne Talbot. whose career h"lo'f' - 'h'
ooriod Of ,hc Napoconc wars. She was II APP
,oors no, NJ all adventurous IS nature. Her
whole ifc was series Of misi"rtnn"S lh'uSn
.Lo rovcr learned her mothers name. she ciaim"l
- lao . 1,uol,tcr of Lori William Talbot. and her
,,,o., scrious misfortune w:s - be- drnrl''' 'l
chilrLood Of p legacy hy Conspiracy w.
guardian rid lIus.lf o. h'r II, pcl>Tafinr her y"
acconiparv n rcrtnin Captain E"~"7 - I"h'"'
There she expected 70 ~ Pic" W
Dnvcn OBLIGED her 10 don mao azure ~" ~
comranv him frs 70 -" Nc-i Indi'S' ''''
coast of france. vi "r" ~" took l'l' - ''
nor in the sicrc Of N'lonr'"'n'-. y IVY
,ho. Borcn took every moons sh'rt ~ H'''''
Nh, Lc~ OH. of a." wav. N"ln"pN' h' f"
Guardian in England such i'l"riht d"
latter to euppo," that ms VIZ"
trouble him moro. HIt Toy'"a HiH"'I VIZ,
,.dr tho walls IL N9lorricun"s. f"d Nj ''''''''
,,ho had served him "a foot.n'1. '.'i"- pf"'N
~, VI. MINORS found c,ilcnr" ~ IN" pl'i nv WIN"
.,.o h,1 b,,n dcfraudcd -" j '-'r'"l be- place
,s drummer and mad" 50" hc-' "i "f WIZ
,Lro,,ch France Her dinI7aii"' amp 'r i'' '
=, ,, , s,i'or s:-y.d her uuc' 'iou'i" tn
o,..r ,.fr,c .oi fl,o 81 aritv Of ~" n'.'al'> '.
w." 80 -o.chcl q mort size w1. u'r-'-srl ~
.. .o,rao on r Tronch sIp l's l'r r.
e.. .Lo d.f.r,c = ,he -.,..| AGAINST
'''', ~ 49,. h,r,llv hc,..r hv the French
.',. t,, tlje was ~ her ad~aut'r" ai'"r -"
,"P"'i' H.. ,;.,I, r,.., hc,r h,r-c' for d-h'ln'
acsir-; her country 80 .,;., l.,t
.,o,icc If thc vines. II her stubborn innc''n '''
- -. o,i,,,v1od.,d hv tie French officers
-, 49,, o,ont .hc could hav" sttoo l"i i'''
80 -, .,o disc,nsur. NJ her scN Nlh''-
.,.. lo scr,,1 in H.. rritish hoot un !"r i"'I
,, .,.l ,r,. .ev.rnlr wounded. a crnp'N'"'
,,, ;,:toI1od itself between tn" bones 81 w
~. Ia, a,,o.. ,lr ankle causing her gr"At pam
e., vcars Her misery was increased hF t' '''
49,, h, ,,,s oftr;warG clTt'ro1 y" ~" fr''''
;.ri.orcd II Dnnl,irl; Upon her i'I'''"
- ,,,o,ocd ~ steward on the Ari"l, Ah
,"' .o,.,,,,,,r hound for Ncw-NogN. III"
"" 49,. ,os..l ,,,, J,hn Fi"li. ~ Pow
caP'''" =, .l ,L .unrosod John Iaylu
,io,1 tl,au ~ an employee and o.
i..ir =, \cwyorl, took her to visit his fam
a. Tt, mos, romanti, Incident Of h"i vIN' ="
,,,o vo,r W,,ld WIS that the captains n'""' ~
,..o.,o1 =, obstinate determination 10 marry n'f'
tr, I'm rc,urncd with Field TO London ana ma
49, misfortune 70 i've captured by = press g'ne
weary Of naval Llifo and OF war)"r" -h" acNn'"i-
edged that She was woman. lh'n CAM H'''