The National tribune., 1899-05-25
A WOMAN SOLDIER.
Strange charae Who Was Dashlnz AnilIerst Of the
18th Ind. Battery.

strange Chdfact ef VINO Was Dashng htiieIist VI III
18th Ind Battery.
Editor National; Tribune The recently
published scraps, of history of the l5tt
Ind. battery brought me into correspond
ence with Comrade ChaS. ii. Meyerhoff, o
Evansville. He asked me about one Wm'
| II. Riley, who served tS a private In oul
battery. l wrote him a description and
peculiarity of this soldier, and to my sur
prise received an answer from him tina,
said that VIM. II. Riley. who enlisted
June 27, 1862, and served faithfully until
June 80, 1865, was a woman. Comrade
Meyerh0ff describes how the discovery
was made, and l fully concur with him,
since and the rest Of the members OF the
18th battery remember that "Red-headed
Riley was different from all the rest OF the
boys: that now, 81 years after the war and
25 years after Riley's death, 1t is as PLAIN
as can be that he was woman.
Immediately after Riley's enlistment,
on account of his intelligence, he was
given lead-team on Gun No. q, In charge
of Serg't Lyman, now a resident OF Green-
field, Ind; but he did not serve long as a
lead-driver, for he soon became i'll and
was placed with the forage, baggage and
ambulance corps of our battery. Here he
did not stay long, but took place as
No. on Gun No. 5, of which Serg' t
Tuttle, now Of New Antioch, o., had
charge.
This number on this gun he retained
until the Atlanta campaign, when ne
became No. on Gun No. 4. He handled
the lanyard to perfection; seldom would
friction primer miss If he had inserted 1t
in the vent of the gun. The NO. 8, PrIvate
Parkerson, on his gun, was about the
first artilleryman killed MAY 8, 1850, in
the Atlanta campaign in Sherman's army;
but Riley did not vince, although Parker
sons blood was all over the trail OF No. 4,
which was in charge of Serg't Hartner,
now of Seneca, Kan. Riley would some
times serve as No. on Gun No. l, in
charge of Serg't Stiefel, now OF Buckskin,
Ind, and Serg't Schultz, Gun No. 2, now
of Elberfeld, Ind, and of Scrg't Hendricks,
Gun No. 8; the last heard from him he
was a Gunner in the Navy; but his
Iiley's) regular place was on Gun No. q.
Here Serg't Hartner dubbed him Red
headed Riley.
He always would try to sleep by him
self, draw his own rations and cook by
himself. He had little to do with the rest
of the boys. He always carried looking
glass, and every opportunity would look
at himself in it. He always would wear
paper collar, and | believe II he had been
out of one would have walked 10 miles to
the next sutler TO get supply. His
clothes were the pink OF neatness and
cleanliness. His shoes were always
blackened, fit for Prussian grenadier to
do duty at the Court of the Kaiser.
In stature Riley was about five feet
three inches, about 1876 or lao in weight,
red hair, light complexion. His hand
writing, as will be seen in the Treasury
Department, was feminine. AS cam
nOneer he was model, but the moment
offense was given him it was like a red
rag to a Spanish bull. His conversation
was of loose tongue, but always polite,
never profane.
met him several times after the war.
Tho last time hR called N
indianapolis. He was then, and had
been since the war, a. sewing machine
agent. l was informed that he died in
the early '7O's, believe, by suicide.
Comrade Meycrhon, Of Evansville, can
best tell how he discovered the deception.
She, as we will call her. now, was a most
complete disguise 10 the officers and men
of the 18th Ind. battery. and to this day it
was "Red-headed' Riley, the cleanest.
most tidy-looking soldier in the Ninth and
Twcnty-third Corps during the war.
There is one thing that may be added
she never would talk POLITICS or discuss
the war. but on the least provocation
most trifiing thing. / do not remember
that she was ever punished for anything
or on extra duty. She did guard duty as
other cannonoers in the park of the guns. |
liquor. II
Her correspondence with people at home
don't remember. believe, if there was
any, it was limited. Her age at the time
was about 20 years.
At enlistment she was not examined: |
being healthy looking, she passed with
out examination. Just at that time Nc
Clellan had been driven from before Rich
mOnd, and recruits were needed; hence her
easy way of getting mustered into the |
w. FOut, 18th Ind. bat
terry, $40 Olive street, st, Louis Mo.