Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-12-15
"THE PRETTY SERGEANT"

lHE hCl IL OGhuIaNAs
The story of Virginia Ghesquiere,
the French heroine, who was deco.
rated with the order of the Legion
of Honor for distinguished bravery
during one of the campaigns of the
French army in Spain, is graphically
told by Emile Cere in his history
of "Madame Sans Gene ct Les Fem.
mes Soldats."
In the conscription of 1906 young
man by the name of Ghesquiere was
enlisted among the forced recruits OF
the department of the Haut-Rhin.
The beardless conscript was frail and
delicate, utterly unable to bear the
fatigues and hardships of war. Real
izing the physical incapacity of her
twin brother, whom she very closely
resembled, the brave and unsel6sh
sister, Virginia, decided to take his
place in the ranks.
With the courage of a high and
noble motive, Virginia Ghesquiere
begged her parents to allow her to do
for France what her brothers i'll health
rendered it impossible for him to do,
and so earnestly did the young patriot
plead that she won their consent.
Donning her brother's apparel, the
intrepid girl presented herself at the
department on the following day, and
was assigned to the Twenty-seventh
regiment by the unsuspecting officer
whose duty it was to enroll recruits.
For six years the brave young wo.
man preserved her disguise, and dur.
ing this period was several times re-
warded for gallant conduct. At Wa
gram the "pretty sergeant" as the
modest, effeminate-looking young SOL
dier was generally called, had the
honor of saving the life of the colonel
of the regiment, who had fallen into
the Danube, and would have perished
but for her efforts.
On the second of May, 1908, after
the battle of Lisbon, the "pretty SER
geant" performed deed of valor that
won for her the decoration of the
Legion of Honor.
The girl soldier, who was now SER
geant of company of rifemen, per.
ceived at short distance from the
field of battle the figure of the colonel
of the regiment lying under the body
of his dead horse. Turning to two
comrades, she said, "The body of a
colonel is flag that belongs to the
regiment, and the Twenty-seventh will
take it,"
As she spoke she advanced toward
the PROSTATE officer, followed by two
soldiers. Her comrades, both weak
from the loss of blood, were unable to
reach the goal, so that the burden OF
the affair fell upon her slender shoul-
ders.
On reaching the spot, she found it
impossible to lift the heavy body OF
the fallen officer, tug and struggle as
she might She was now, moreover,
beset by two struggling English SOL
diers. Seized by a sort of frenzy at
this cowardly interruption of merci'
full deed, the little sergeant fred at one
of her assailants, wounded him in the
shoulder, and then disabled the other
by vigorous blows from her gun-stock.
Both Britons surrendered and as
sisted her in placing the officer, who
still breathed, upon horse which had
strayed near. Compelling the English.
men to allow themselves to be attached
to the horses tail, the "pretty SER
geant" made a triumphal entry into
camp, and was soon after made
Chevalier of the Legion.
One of the most singular circum.
stances of this curious history is that
after the wars were over the woman
who had won renown on the battle
field and public recognition from the
empire resumed there the old, simple
tranquil domestic life of her childhood.
Virginia Ghesquiere died in 1855,
but her memory will always live among
the inhabitants of Delemont, who from
one generation to another will tell their
children's children the story of the
girl-soldier who served France so he.
roically for her brothers sake.