The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-11-09

llltiOll.
.NeicS nud Courier.

In our civil war Sc'cTai "oihc"
were known to have served Tor time
as private soldiers, unsuspcctcd by
the army From review Of the life
of Major Gen. John Paterson, by
Thomas Eglcston, in the New York
Times, is taken the following sketch
OF an interesting case:
Early in May, 1871, Gen. Paterson
received under his authority a soldier
who turned out to be woman, De-
borah Sampson, who enlisted AZ man
in Capt. Webb's company, in Co...
Shcpard's regiment, under the name
Of Robert Shurtlicff. Her height was
recorded by the proper officer AS D feet
"a inches; eyes hazel, inclining to
blue. She enlisted inWorcestcr III
company with large number OF other
recruits At West Point her civilian
suit was exchanged for Continental
uniform, which was blue coat faced +,
with white, a white vest, brecchcs,
stockings, with black straps about the
,nees, half f-boots, black stock made of
velvet stiffcncd with leather, cap
with variagated cockadc on one side,
a white plume tipped with red on the
other side, and a white sash about the
crown. She was furnished with a
French fuse and bayonct, knapsack, +,
cartridge box and twenty cartridges
In the month Of June she was sent
with part Of her company to Harlem
and White Plains. They defeated
there part Of the enemy, and, though
the battle was unexpected and furious
and the man next to her was shot dead
at the second discharge, she says that
she suffered less from fear than
fatigue, thirst, and the heat Of the
day. She was aftcrward transferred
with most Of her company to Col.
Henry Jackson s regiment.
The American forces early in June
were joined by the French from New
port, under Col. isochambeau. After
series Of manoeuvres, made to deceive
the enemy into uthe belief that an
attack on New York was intended, the
whole allied army, about the 10Th, under
the command Of Washington, took up
its march for the Chesapeake. The
army went from the head of the bay
to James River in feet Of transports,
consisting of more than one hundred
vessels, furnished for this occasion by
the French admiral, Count de Grasse,
for the capture Of Yorktown. She
bore the great fatigue and did cxtraor-
dinary work, unwilling to be outdone
by the men in the trenches, and was
often exposed to fire.
On the night Of the 7th of October
she was one in large detachment
under Gen. Lincoln, who we're ordered
to open trenches within mile of the
enemy's lines. The night was one %
severe labor and exposure, and in the
morning Gen. Lincoln, noticing her
extreme exhaustion and blistered
hands, said: "You have had too great
share Of fatigue, my fine lad. Retire
to your tent and pleasantly dream an
hour or two Day after day for a
week the air was filled with shot and
she'll. Two large redoubts were held
by the enemy three hundred yards in
advance of the American lines, and
severely cnfiladed the besieging forces.
It was necessary to carry these re-
doubts By assault. The attack was
one entrusted to body Of French
troops under Baron Viomenil, and the
other to American infantry under the
Marquis dc Lafayette. She was en-
gagged in this attack. The redoubts
were carried on the 18th at the point
Of the bayonet. On the 18th Corn
wallis surrendered.
After tho surrender the army re.
turned North by the same route it had
come, and went into winter quarters
on the Hudson. In June, 1882, she
with thirty others volunteered on an
expedition against party Of Tories
who were committing outrages on the
east Of the Hudson. She received
two wounds, one in the left temple
and the other in the thigh near the
groin. She was carried to the hospital,
but concealed the wound in the thigh,
and extracted the ball herself, so that
her sex escaped detection. In all re-
spects she acted with bravery, firm.
ness, and resolution equal to any SOL
der in the regiment.
Peace was proclaimed on the 10Th
ofApril, 1888. Being sent to Phila.
delphia during the summer Of tha,
year, she was seized with malignan,
fever, which nearly ended her life
During this attack DR.. Binney, tn,