Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1898-10-26
~ThslPRErTv' SERGEANT"
4 wsse,n WIZ seFveA in, the Napsie-
6i1e Afna$ess

4 WsoeA WIN served In the Napsie-
Snie Armtess
The stdey .es virsiniaj ehse4piere, the
FreEah heseine. whs. was decorated
with the order Of the Legion Of Honor
fer distinguished bravery dArias one
Of the eAmDaigas Of the French army
n spain. y! graphically told by Emile
Cess in his history of thS Madame
Sans Gene et,Les Femmss soldats.''
In the 'eoaseription Of 1909 a young
man by the name of. 0hssQuiere was
ealisted among the forced recruits Of
the dspartment Of ths Haut-Rhin. The
beardless conscript was fraA and deli
cate, utterly unableito bear the fadgues
and AArdshtps Of war. Rsalising the
physical incapacity Of her twin broth
er. when she very closely rssembled,
the brave and unscEnsh sister. Virginia.
decided to take Misplace In the ranks.
With the courage of high and noble
motive. Virginia Ghesquiere begged her
parents to allow her to DO fer France
what her brothers III health rendered
It impossible for him to do, and so earn
estly did the young paxriot plead that
she won their consent.
Donning her brothers apparel, the
intrepid girl presented herself at the
department on the following day. and
was assigned to the Twenty-seventh
whose duty 1t was to enroll the re-
cruits.
For six years the brave young wom-
an preserved her disguise. and during
this period was several times rewarded
for gallant conduct. At Hagram the
pretty sergeant" as the modest, ef
feminate-looking young soldier was
generally called. had the honor of saw
ing the life Of the colonel OF the regi-
ment, who had fallen into the Danube.
and would have perished but for her
efforts.
On the second day Of May. 1SOS. after
the Battle Of Lisbon, the pretty ser
geant" performed deed Of valor that
won for her the decoration Of the Le-
gion Of Honor.
The girl soldier, who was now ser
geant Of q company Of riflemen, per-
ceived at a 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 q colonel is
flag that belongs to the regiment, and
the Twenty-seventh Will retake it."
AS she spoke she advanced toward
the PROSTATE officer, followed by two
soldiers. Her comrades, both weak
80 t.yD N 20
reach the goal, 30 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 a mer-
ciful deed, the little sergeant fired at
ore Of her assailants, wounded him in
the shoulder, and then disabled the
other by vigorous blows from her gun
stock.
Both Britons surrendered, and assist
ed her In placing the officer, who still
breathed. upon a horse which had still
strayed near. Compelling the English
men to allow themselves to be attached
to the horses tail. the pretty ser
geant'' made n triumphal entry into
camp, and soon after made a Chev-
alier of the Legion.
One of the most singular circum-
stances of this curious history Is that
after the wars We're over, the woman
who had won renown on the battlefield
and public recognition from the En-
pire chose to return to her native prov
ince and resumed there the old, simple,
tranquil domestic life of her childhood.
Virginia Ghesquiere died in 1855, but
her memory viii 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 heroi-
cally for her brothers sake.