The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1908-03-28

sea in a man-oi-war. though in Sc
cent novel the lady correspondent OF
daily paper is made TO attend
manoeuvres. and some terrible compl!.
cal ions follow her incursions into tao
ties and strategy. Up till the middle
Oh the last century. however, il Was
no uncommon thing for captains and
even seamen to take their wives to
sea 1t is recorded that at the bat
tie OF Camperdown a woman assisted
was quartered and stuck grinly 10
her post until. with one leg shot off
and the other wounded. she was car
red below to the surgeons care.
a curious case arose as the result
OF women being present at Trafalgar.
III the official record Of the applicants
for The naval war medal in 1877 oc
ours the entry. Jane ToWnshend, OF
his majestys ship Defiance" Sir T.
Byam Martin noted against this that
the order directing that all who were
present at the action should have a
medal was made without any reser-
Walton as to sex. He adds: AS
this woman produces from the cap
tain of the Defiance strong and high
L. satisfactory certificates of her use
full services during the action. she
is fully entitled to a medal. After
further consideration. however, it was
decided that the claim could moi be
allowed: there We're many women in
the feet equally useful. and 1t VIII
leave the Admiralty exposed to in
Vulnerable applications OF the same
nature" The state of things in some
of our men-Of-war III that time may
be gathered from an entry IN the
diary OF naval surgeon of the period.
He tells us that when the Magnanime.
of $50 men. was ordered to be re-
paired at Portsmouth. her crew were
turned over 10 the Canterbury. but
no shore leave was given. permission
being accorded instead for the mems
WIVES W COIlc vi ia NCAN'N
quence the consumption of beer was
SO large that the purser had to enter
Il complaint. The admiral ordered the
females on board to be mustered. and
there were 492 of them. They all
declared themselves married women
and We're acknowledged by the sail
ors as their wives.
Two of the most famous nautical
heroines were Mary Anne Talbot and
Hannah Smell. The former served for
many years in the navy. and ultimate
ly retired on a pension of $50 a year
granted to her for wounds received
in action. Hannah Smell was Royal
Marine. and her memory is honored
by the Sea Regiment to this day. She
served first in the army. but, desert
ing. tramped to Portsmouth. enlisted
in the marines and went out to the
East Indies in the Swallow. sloop. She
was wounded at the siege of Pondl-
cherry. and remained in hospital three
months without her sex being discov-
cred. In 1850 she returned to Eng
land. was pensioned off. and then an
her sex. She continued, how
ever. to wear male costume down to
the day of her death. with sword and
ruffles. laced hat and cockade. and
she added to her income by appear
ing on the stage. singing song and
loing military exercises. Rebecca
Anne Johnson. another female sailor.
who lived on the lower deck as a
man. may be said TO have inherited
ler soafaring instincts. for her moth
ar fought and fell at Copenhagen un-
Ter Nelson. and her father also was
l sailor. She was found out. however
after serving seven years at sea, and
was forthwith put ashore. In another
case young seaman" named Wad
lell. of the Oxford, when ordered TO
receive two dozen lashes for deser
ion. was found to be girl. She de-
dared that she had enlisted in the
Oxford believing the man she was in
owe with to be on board that ship.
When she found he was not she had
deserted. Instead of being dashed. she
vas presented by the admiral with
lalf guinea. the other officer sent
he hat round and she was given
enough to take her back to Hull, her
native town.