Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-02-27
DR.. MARY WALKER
DEAD IN 88TH YEAR
Gained Fame as Only Woman
Authorized by Congress to
Wear Male Attire

WATERFOWL. n. Y. Feb. 23.--Dr.
, Mary Walker, 81 years old, died at her
home on Bunker Hill, near Oswego
Saturday night after a long illness.
She was n surgeon in the Civil war
and received n congressional medal Of
honor. She gained fame by being the
only woman allowed to appear in male
attire by an act of Congress.
Dr.. Mary Il. walker was born in
! 1882, in Oswego, N. Y, where her faith
er was the Country DOCTOR and at
the age of % she was a graduate doc
tor with the degree of NJ. d. When
she was 16 she was public school
teacher in New York city and her life
long reform work for women had al
ready been begun. At that early date
| she had already discarded the more
decorative order of womens attire, but
1t was not until. at the age of 20, shc
became a practicing physician and
army surgeon in Washington. D. c..
that she completely went back on
skirts. She volunteered her services
at tho beginning of the war; enter
Ing the Union army as an assistant
surgeon, with the rank of first lieuten-
ant. She dressed like her brother Of
ficers, having a gold stripe running
down the trouser legs. wearing a felt
hat with gold cord and an officers
overcoat. Her Jacket was cut like a
blouse and fitted loosely at the neck.
AS she always explained 1t, DR.. Wall
ker's scheme for wearing trousers was
but a part of her general and life
long struggle for womens rights. She
spent four years on the battlefields OF
the Civil War.
4,
first suffragists in the country, but also
one of the first women reporters, hav-
ing worked on New York city daily
directly after the war Soon firing Of
reportorial work. she returned to WASH
ington where she remained familiar
and picturesque figure for more than 20
years. Her activities there were not
| confined to her support Of the various
womens rights measures that she was
advocating. but she was a strong fighter
for the popular election of United States
senators and other reform measures.
Much of her life was spent in fighting
! for feminine dress reform. She fire.
quently claimed to have been the first
American woman to attempt to cast a
ballot in a legal election. Her livelihood
was earned during all these years by her
private medical practice and by writings,
which were supplemented by an army
pension.
DR.. Walker also was distinguished as
| the only woman in history who. when
| held as a captive in war, was exchanged
as n prisoner of war for a man of equal
rank in the army Of the foe. During
the half century following the Civil War
| she became celebrated in the United
States and England as a lecturer She
| made several lecturing tours in Europe,
! speaking in all the principal cities, and
| likewise toured the United States. APP
pearing everywhere in frock coat or
full evening dress, and advocating with
her strange eloquence the emancipation
of the sex and the assumption Of mems
attire as the first practical step.
| Although pioneer in the woman suf-
frage movement DR.. Walker was out Of
sympathy with the methods of some Of
| her sister workers.
| DR.. Walker never married. Her proud
| est possession was the bronze medal she
wore on the bosom of her frock coat.
On the back was engraved this legend
Presented by the Congress of the
United States to Mary E. Walker, A. A.
I Surgeon. U. s. Army"
DR.. Walker was injured in fall
on the Capitol steps in Washington
two years ago and returned home last
| spring considerably weakened in
health. She declined to accept the
proffered assistance of neighbors in
caring for her house. but later she
yielded to the suggestion Of the town
authorities that she go to the United
States General hospital at Fort On
tario, where she remained for several
weeks and was apparently much i'm
proved in health. At her request sh Q
was permitted to leave the hospital
and return home