Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-08-28

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attempted to play the part Of soldier.
1t may seem incredible TO the men and
women Of this day that young women
could enter the military service, escape
detection by the mastering officers and
associate with worldly wise men, with
out the cOnnivance of confederates. But
it must be remembered that in the tirss
year OF the war there We're i'll every
company many fresh faced, beardless
young men. ditfident in manner and hes
liant in speech, among whom boyish-
faced young woman. playing boys
part. did not seem out of place.
1T was Il time too, when few ques-
lions were asked. and when mastering
officers were not overparticnlar time
when men from different neghborhoods,
counties and States We're thrown to-
gether to form III a day unexplainable
and romantic attachments; time
when, i'll the Stl'angeneSs Of environ
ment and in inconsistencies. the reserve
OF individuals was common, and when
all sorts OF eccentricities were excused
At such a time it was easy for a high
spirited girl of rugged build to dress in
the Garibaldi shirt and loose blouse and
trousers, and join some squad of eager
recruits on their way to camp, and 1t
is .ndisputabe that many escaped de-
lection for months, and did good gel
vice as soldiers.
Il cannot remember now single case
in our division of the army where girl
who had worn soldier clothes through
skirmish or battle was not on discovery
treated with the greatest respect even
by the toughest men. / cannot remenl-
Der case in which scandal was asso-
ciated with a young woman who had
been carried into the army. through
patriotism, and in sheer forgetfulness
of self and sex. Men who had them
selves been overwhelmed and mastered
by a newly discovered. passionate devO-
ton to flag and country seemed to I'M
derstand the young women who riSked
everything to follow the flag, and there
was little criticism or censure.
"On one occasion rumor flew
through camp that a woman had been
discovered in one Of the companies.
There was excitement at once, but when
a frolicsome young fellow in Company
Il was marched up TO headquarters I'M
der guard no one suspected that the
person under arrest was q woman. Men
in the same mess were as unSuSpiciOuS
eas any. and they We're greatly scan
dalized when it was declared that for
six months they had been cutting and
swearing at q woman But the whole
regiment was lined up to see her taken
out Of camp, and. much to the surprise
of the officers there was nothing said
that had the slightest flavor OF ribaldry.
On every hand it was 'Good-by, Joe );
better luck next time And from the
woman came, 'Good-by. boys; whatever
else you do. remember that | did my
duty with the best Of you. And ye did
that, me boy shouted an Irishman,
and | will lick the nau that says ye
didn't
What became of her: She was TAX
Ell in charge by the colonei's wife, and
led as honest life as any one, though
possibly not Il very comfortable one.
And, by the way. | do not believe that
any of these soldier girls turned ont
badly. / have in mind n girl who served
III another regiment. She was the only
child Of our village physician. and had
boys training. She drove. rode hunt
ed. and tished with her father, who
called her his boy. Al the very begin
ming of the war the doctor volunteered,
and in a speech urging young men to
enlist expressed his regret that his girl
was not q boy, as it would give him
ineXpressibie pride to have a son wear
ing the army blue. His daughter took
resolve then and there, and she car
ried it out.
Before many weeks she was seeing
hard service in a Union regiment. and
was associated with three young fell
lows of slighter figure and fairer COM
plexion than herself. One day one of
these young men tweaked her nose, and
she boxed his ears. Quick as a fash
the man struck back, and there was a
lively scrap The orderly sergeant in
terfered. and was surprised 10 find the
young fellow who had got the best Of
the skirmish Respondent and penitent
The next day the young man told the
orderly that i'll the midst Of the fight
he OWNED his anita onist was woman.
She didn't strike-she slapped and
scratched-and in her anger and excite
ment betrayed herself. The two con-
suited with the colonel, and the girl
was quietly detailed for nurses duty In
the hospital. Then she was sent to
distant hospital, at which she appeared
in woman's dress. and from that she
was sent to her father, with whom she
remained the greater part of the war"
There are in Chicago said the ma
jOr, probably q score of Southern wOm-