The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-08-08
WOMEN DISGUISED As MEN.
Romantic Stories Recalled by n Brit
ish War Office Incident.

The recent attempt made by the naval
officials to hush up what would have
furnished material for a scandal Of un-
usual dimensions has apparently been
successful. the real state Of affairs was
known only u a few. This was that IN
more than one vessel Of war, females,
dressed in male attire. had been acting
as officers private servants. RumOr
even went 81 far as TO say that some OF
these girls We're highly connected. The
affair reViVes the recOilectiOnS Of many
cases Of women in breeches
Il is said that 80 women disguised as
men We're discovered in the United States
army Of the Potomac in 1866.
The list Of strange impOstures would of
Itself I'LL pages; the narrative Of their
conception and fulfiilment would occupy
several volumes. Some of them have been
quite purposeless; some have been daring
and well affected; but the shrewdest and
most daring of all have been criminal in
design and too often successful.
The late Col BuTnaby told Of the dis
cOYery Of a woman who served as SOL
der in the ranks of the army Of Don
Carlos in 1874. She wore the uniform
and lived and fought just as the other
soldiers; but a priest in whose parish she
had lived identified her. Don Carlos re-
moved her 10 the nurses quarters, but
she begged TO be sent back TO the ranks
He laughed. Not to a regiment Of men;
but when 1 form a battilion OF women
you shall be a colonel"
In Australia, not many years ago, there
was woman who travelled under the
alias OF Edward de Lacy Evans. For
years she was miner at Bendgo. She Is
stated to have been married as man
three times. Her true sex was discOv-
cred upon ner reception into Kew lunatio
asylum. She eventually recovered her
reason and returned To the outer world.
The career Of Mary Ann Talbot contains
a still further flavor Of romance. She
was the reputed daughter Of the earl OF
Talbot. and at fourteen years she fell into
the hands Of ? certain Capt Bowen OF
the ROYAL navy The captain. being or
dered to San Domingo, took her with him,
disguised as page boy. When Capt. Bow
en- was killed in action Mary Ann changed
her flag and entered the French navy.
She then entered the American merchant
marine. She quickly-of course, still in
male diSguise-became the faVOrite with
the captain OF the vessel and he took
her home with him. His niece fell IN love
with the pretty sailor boy, as she con-
sidered him, and proposed marriage her
self. The proposal Mary Ann deemed Il
prudent to accept, and il was arranged
that the marriage should be celebrated
on the sailors return from the next vOy-
age 1t is hardly necessary TO say that
this gay deceiver had no intention Of
going back. Landing in England. Mary
Ann was arrested as a deSerter from the
British navy, and. to escape further serv-
ice she confessed her sex. The story
of her adventures Immediately spread
abroad and created a considerable sensa-
ton at the time. The then duke OF
York procured for her pension, and she
received numerous and handsome pres
ents from him and others.
It is strikingly noticeable that many OF
these Amazons We're fatally attractive to
their own sex. As we have seen, Mary
Ann Talbot unwittlngly captivated the
heart of the American captains niece,
while Edward de Lacy Evans" who
married three wives, must also have been
a very pretty fellow.-London Truth.