Western news-Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1898-1900, 1898-11-03
"THE PRETTY SERGEANT"
A Woman Who Served in the NaDoIe-
Onic Armies.

Ii
Onic Armies.
The story of Virginia Ghesquiere, the
| French heroine, who was decorated
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 the Madame
Sans Gene ct Les Femmes Soldats.'
In the conscription of 1906 q 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 deli
cate, utterly unable to bear the fatigues
and hardships of war. Realizing the
physical incapacity of her twin broth
er, whom she very closely resembled,
the brave and unseltish sister, Virginia,
decided to take his place i'll 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 earn
tStly ulo tlt SOulS l)dtllOL lictiti Ili,it
| she won their consent.
Donning her brothers apparel, the
intrepid girl presented herself at the
department Oh the following day and
was assigned to the TWcnty-seventh
Regiment by the unsuspecting officer
whose duty it 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, eff
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, 1903, after
the Battle Of Lisbon, the pretty ser
geant' performed q deed of yalOr that
won for her the decoration Of the Le-
gion of Honor.
The girl soldier, who was now ser
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 Il colonel is a
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
from 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 sort of frenzy
at this cowardly interruption Of a mer-
ciful deed, the little sergeant fired 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 assist
ed her in placing the officer, who still
breathed, upon 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 a 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 were over. the woman
who had won renown on the battlefield
and public recognition from the En-
pire chose toGeturn to her native prov
iince. and 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 herOi- |
cally for her brothers sake.