Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-06-22
Daily ytuasbst aparual.
A WOMAN SOLDIER.
The Career Of Deborah Sampson o
Sharon, Mass.
Mr. Patriotic Enlistment and Hard Service
Her Wound and Pension.

one writer HAS dSStIlcu tHdt Tie
number OF women in the ranks of the
Union army during the Rebellion was
greater than any one ever dreamed,
that il would reach little short of four
hundred. 1t would seem that this must
he a great cxaggeration, for. taking the
War of the Revolution as an example.
hut one well authenticated ease is
known of q woman, disguised as a man,
who took her place in the ranks and
served. undiscovered. through several
wears of the war. This was Deborah
Sampson, whose home was in the town
of sharon. Norfolk County, Mass. Just
what induced her to take this course is
uncertain. When hostilities commenced
on the 18th day of April, 11'5, she was a
ouiet country girl of l6 years, and one
would naturally expect that at this inn
irresistible period of her life. and under
the intense excitement which prevailed
AT that time, living as she did within 20
miles of where actual war was going
an that if ever, she would then have
made the attempt to join herself with
the patriotic young men who were fast
enrolling themselves in the fight for
freedom. But it was six years later
when she enlisted. At the age of p,
with her body we'll developed and judg
ment matured and all her plans care
fully and deliberately made, she pri
yately left her home, and, dressed in
male attire, succeeded in getting mus
tered into the service, either personally or
nv proxy--prohably the latter-for it
could hardly be possible to pass the
surgeons examination personally with
ont detection That she was not an
Amazon. thirsting for blood. but fully
possessing the natural inclinations,
tastes and desires of the average
woman of her day, later events in her
life will show. She was described as
possessing a clear Understanding, a
general knowledge of passing events;
fluent in speech and delivers her senti-
ments in correct language, with deliher-
ate and measured accent. easy in her
deuortment affable in her manners, ro-
bust and masculine in her appearance.
II is said that she was popular in the
company and held in high esteem by
her officers on account of her expert
ness and precision in the manual exer-
cises, and her ever exemplary conduct.
She enlisted under the name of Robert
Shurtleff. in Captain George Webb's
company and Colonel William Shep-
herds regiment, it being the Fourth
Massachusetts, Line
During the early part of 1871 she was
sent. with others, on several important
expeditiOns and was in several lively
skrmishes along the Hudson riverin the
state OF New ork, IN one ol "nieh' az
Tarrytown near the scene of the cap
ture of Major Andre the year before,
eha uos wounded a muSket ball lOdg-
ing in her body, which she carried IN
the day OF her death. Many coiiiiio .'is
and exaggerated STORIES nave oeeii eolN
Of her exploits, put the IoiioWlls' iui
nlshed to congressional coiiiiiii'tee W
Inc uniteu states commissioners ~ 20
sions. in the year 1885, ought 10 NC co'i-
elusive. The commissioner says.
"On the l4th oeptehlper' 1910 ING 9f,id
Deborah made hef ueclaralioh' uii'Ii
oath, tnat she served as ply aee "0i
der, under the name Oh hopei '7ilui
left in the war of the Revolution up
wards Of two years, IN manner ioilo" :
ing: Enlisted in April. 1871, in a COM
p,nv commended NV Cantain George
,.a++e rec.i,,,ant
Neoo' III the Massachuae'.'
commanded by Colonel Shepherd, AFTER
wards hv Colonel Henry Jackson; that
h .o,,', l.; Nroeeaobrsatts and New
- 90 ~ 80 zoo -, Oh /.
YORK, until November, 1000 "ieh 'ii
was honorably discharged in writing
which discharea she had lost. She was
- -, - C,o,.,w.l1is was
dt lhe capture u VI s 49,
wounded al TaTytoWn, ana, UP 10 the
date of her declaration, she had re-
ca;,,aa narcion tharaforn
80 49, n,nare
IL Is TO De reSfetteu .ia' .he pPe.
containing evidence upon when her OF
igiual pension was granted were
t, - 1o,. ba, 4ba pritish troops
ouiheu ~ i'if, "iiei' ~ ,..-a,,o,, ~ !.
invaded washington ana destroyed 'he
war office and it's contents.
II vould seam that she rapidly re-
. - r.. ;,,,,,,o5t.t a affacts Of
covered lroih the iilihiei,a i,
her wound. so as to be apie 10 'dhe POI
in the Yorktown campaign, as the sur
raraar ~ Co,-nvalIis occurred the fol-
- = - ...1.,r. m bave
lowing autumn. She appeai'
served without suspicion OF her Sex ul-
til the army was disbanded in the fall
of,-oo -, -, ,.oooi,,ad bar discharge
100 "He . 'he :, home
as Robert Shurtie1, ana reterneu NJ :,
Once more in her native town, ana II
becoming known that she had served a.; ~
soldier in the pa triot army. Dut Sht uiu