The Red Cloud chief., 1896-11-13
AMAZONS.
Women Who Have Won Renown
on the Battlefield.
History Repeats Itseif-Ihc Female No,'
unteer Corps Not the only Example
OF Feminine soldering Mssque-
rade as Men.

During the recent campaign in NADIA.
pascar We heard a good deal about The
DahomCy AmaZons and their proWeSs
in war; aud "a few r.ouths ago u daily
parcr asserted that g. h'"rir volunteer
corp. N,as in tnu ,u'oy $50 g.. being
formed. tobcodiccrcd, of course, %! some
eNtr,.lD disciples Of the 'Ncw Woman"
cult. In,thc latter instance the idea of
a woman %usurping mans place ON the
battlefield was looked uuon a. being
something quite Original. whereas II
would simply be a case of history re-
renting itself. for that there have been
many such hcroincs the following par
t|iculars will prove: Mrs. Christine
Davies, commonly called Mother i'Oss,
is n ~wcll-known example, She having
served as a foot soldier and dragoon in
several campaigns under William III.
and the duke of Marlborough, acting as
II squadron leader of the Scots greys at
l,unhcim and Families. She died July
g. 1899. Hannah Smell was another fe-
male worthy, who, having been deserted
10y her husband. adopted male attire.
and travelled TO Coventry IN search of the
unawa She there enlisted in Col.
Guise's regiment of foot, and marched
with them to Carlisle at ;hc time of the
Scotch rebellion of l7i5. She aftcrward
enlisted in Frascr's regiment of ma
rines, and proceeded TO Portsmouth.
whence she sailed in Admiral Fosca-
wen's squadron for the East Indies.
There she assisted at the siege Of
Pondichcrry, when she received II
wounds. Through all her adventures,
including II couple Of floggings. she
managed ~ preserve the secret of her
snN. aud concerning the application of
the 'cdt" it vas said:
Hannah ia brecks bchav'd so well,
THAT none hrt softer sex could tell"
A. the close OF her military life. how
ever, She revealed her secret, and was
awarded Il pension of els IS. per an
num-. Later ON she started u pubic
hou." under the sign Of "Ihe Widu'
IN Masquerade" and did such n roaring
trade tat q comfortable old age was
assured TO her.
There is Mary Anne Talbot, "a fine.
corncly young woman, 10 Judge by a.
cxtant portrait, who served four Ncdta
rs a soldier aud sailor in th" name ~
John Taylor, and took part in LrI ,
1lowe's glorious victory OF June /. She
died February !, 1908. aged 30 wears.
one print represents her holding Il cut
lass IN one hand. and n Frenchman's
head in the other; another in which she
Is representing II press gang. Coupled
with the memory of %Fontenoy. i7i',
there Is that IF phobe ~Ilcsscl. whose
monument in n Brighton churchym,
states that she was born at Chelsea al
1913; that she served for many years rs
u private soldier IN the Fifth regimen
OF foot in different PARTS Of Europe, ano
received n hayonct wound In the arm al
the above engagements Living az
brighton. her case became known Il
George w, then prince regent, who
sent tn ask her what sum of money
would render her comfortable. Hal
a guinea n week." replied old Phoebe
"will make me as happy as a princess
This. therefore, by his maicsty's com.
mand was regularly paid her till Tie
day of her death, which took place De
ccmbcr ~. 1921. when she attained tn,
age of los years.
Again. there is Mary Dixon, who wat
nearly III years in the army, and Tough
at Waterloo. She wa still living i'm $50,
when she VAS described ms "a strong
powerful old woman" Above all. Their
is the remarkable. If not unique ease q
DR.. Barry, who died at Corfu in July
1sG5. This lady, saidtohav" been the lcgit
innate granddaughter of "A Scotch ear
Is surmiscd to have adopted male ATTN
and the medical profession from attach
ment To IN army surgeon. Never in h"
lifetime had anyone the slightest su'
picion of her sex. While staff surgeo
10 the cape garrison, she most sue,
essfully treated the governor, lor
Charles Somerset, fought Il duel. an
was considered to he of II most Quarrc
some disposition. The doctor VAS fr'
quently guilty of fragrant breaches
discipline, and on more than one occi
sion was sent home under arrest, h,
somehow or other. the Oilcnsrs were n
ways condOncd At headquarters. I'll
late earl of Alhcmarlc relates in Il
"reminiscences, that on sitting next
NV hl lH'NNs Ut 'lN'h ~ 'Nllhll Y
fcminacy in his manner, which
seemed 90 he always striIin" Ia owe
CONE, lille his style Of conversntio
was grcatly superior to that one u uall
heard NJ q mess-tahlc in the day Off ~
competitive examinations" In lagt
Arr y List for lNG5, the name ot Jam,
Berry, VI. d., stands AT the head OF II
list of inspectors general Of hospital
In the July of the same year, her dcat
was announced, and the next day il WI
officially reported to the horse guar,
that the doctor was II woman. II
singular hat neither the landlady
her lodging, nor the black valet, wi
had lived with her for years, had Il
yaguest notion Of her secrct.-Admira
~ and Horse Guards Gazette.