The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1896-10-03
a IONS.
Women Who Have Won Renown
On the Battle held

History Repeats Itself- The Female Vol
unteer Corps Not the only Example 81
Of Feminine Soldering 1Easque-
3. rade % Men.
During the recent campaign in NADIA
gascar we heard q good deal about the
Dahomey Amazons and their proves
in war; and a few months ago 8 daily
paper asserted that a female volunteer
corps was in the process Of being
formed, to be Differed, of course, by some
extreme disciples Of the New Woman
cult. In the latter instance the idea Of
Q woman usurping mans place on the
battlefield was looked upon as being.
something quite original; whereas II
would simply be a case OF history re-
peating itself, for that there have been
many such heroines the slowing par
ticulars will prove: Mrs. Christine
Davies, commonly called q Mother Ross :, !,
is a well-known example, she having
served as q foot soldier and drag DON in
several campaigns under William III.
and the duke Of Marlb borough, acting as
q squadron leader Of the Scots greys at
Blenheim and Families. She died July
9, 1889. Hannah Smell was mother fe-s
male worthy who, having been deserted
by her husband, adopted male attire,s
and travelled to Coventry in search of the,
runaway. She there enlisted in Col.
Guise's regiment of foot, and marched
with them to Carlisle at: the time of the;
Scotch rebellion of 1745. She afterward
enlisted in Fraser's regiment Of ma
rines, and proceeded to Portsmouth,:
whence she sailed in Admiral Bosca-'
wen's squadron for the East Indies.
There she assisted at the siege of
Pondicherry, when she received 10
wounds. Through all her adventures,
including q couple Of foggings, she
managed to preserve the secret Of her
sex, and concerning the application of
the tscat'' it was said: as ..s s
Hannah IN breeks behav'd so we'll,
That none her softer sex could tell. =
At the close Of her military life, how,
ever, she revealed her secret, and was
awarded pension of s 10 IS. per an
mum. Later on she started a public
house under the sign Of ssThe Widow
in Masquerade, 2 and did such a roaring
trade that comfortable old age was.
assured to her. ~
There is Mary Anne Talbot, a fine,
comely young woman, TO judge by an
extant portrait, who served four years
as q soldier and sailor in the name of
John Taylor, and took part in Lord
Howe's glorious victory on June l.. She
died February 4, 1908, aged 80 years..
One print represents her holding a cut
lass in one hand, and Frenchman's
head in the other; another in which she
is representing press gang. Coupled
with the memory of .Fontenoy, 1745,s
there is that Of Phobe Hessel, whose.
monument in Brighton churchyard
states that she was born at Chelseasin
1918; that she served for many years as
a private soldier in the III Fifth regiment
Of foot in different parts Of Europe, and
received a bayonettf wound in the arm at
the above engagement. Living at
her case became known to.
George w, then prince regent, who
sent to ask her what sum of money
would render her comfortable. Half
q guinea a week, replied old Phoebe.
will make me as happy as q princess
This, therefore, by his majesty S com
mand was regularly paid her till the
day Of her death, which took place De-
cember II, 1921, when she attained the.
age of 10s years. s5..
Again, there is Mary Dixon, who was
nearly 16 years in the army, and fought
at Waterloo. She was still living IN 865,
when she was described as "a strong,
powerful old woman Above all, there
is the remarkable, if not unique case Of
DR.. Barry, who died at Corfu in July,
1865. This lady said to have been thelegit-
innate granddaughter Of a Scotch earl.
is surmised to have adopted male a tire.
and the medical profession from attach
ment to an army surgeon. Never in her
lifetime had anyone the slightest sus-
picion Of her sex. While staff surgeon
to the cape garrison, she most succ-
essfully treated the governor, Lord
Charles Somerset, fought a duel, and
was considered to be of a most quarrel.
some disposition. The doctor was fre-
quently guilty Of fagrant breaches Of.
discipline, and on more than one :occa-.
sion was sent home under arrest, but.
somehow or other, the offenses were az.
ways condoned at headquarters The.
late earl of Albemarle relates in his:
"reminiscences, that on sitting next to
her at mess, he noticed So certain ef-
fesamrinacy in his manner, which he
seemed to be always striving to over
come, while his style Of conversation:
was greatly superior to that one usually
heard at mess-table in the days Of nom.
competitive examinations In Harris
Army List for 1865, the name Of James.
Berry, NJ. D., stands at the head Of the
listsof inspectors general Of hospitals.
IN the July Of the same year, her death.