The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-02-22
MARY
WALKER is DEAD
Famous Civil War Surgeon Was the
First and Only Woman to Get Per-
mission from Congress to
Wear Male Attire.

Watertown, N. Y, Feb. 22.-Dr. Mary
Walker, aged 81 years, died at her home
on Bunker Hill, near Oswego, last night
after long illness She was a surgeon
in the Civil war and was awarded con
gressional medal of honor. She gained
considerable fame by being the only
woman allowed to appear in male attire
by an act of Congress.
DR.. Mary II. Walker led a picturesque
career. -Four years were spent on the
battlefelds of the Civil war. The remain
der of her active life was spent in fight
ing for feminine dress reform and wom-
ans rights to political suffrage, in which
movements she was a pioneer. She fire.
quently claimed to have been the first
American woman TO attempt to cast
ballot in legal election Her livelihood
was earned during all these years by her
private medical practice and by writing.
BY special authorization from the fed
eral Congress, DR.. Walker adopted male
attire during the Civil war, and for the
half-century since she had continued to
wear it in civil life--the only woman in
the country who ever had her rights in
this respect prescribed by the national
legislators. She wore black frock coat,
trousers and a high silk hat, and car
ried a cane.
DR.. Walker also was distinguished as
the only woman in history who when
held as a captive in war was exchanged
as a prisoner of war for man of equal
rank in the army of the foe. She was
also the first woman to be regularly en-
listed in an army as a surgeon.
Born in Oswego, n. Y, in 1882, Miss
Walker was graduate doctor with the
degree of NJ. D. at the age of %. Begin
ming practice Immediately, she soon
adopted masculine clothes Her war ca
reer began at the age Of 20. She volun-
teered her services, entering the union
army as an assistant surgeon, with the
rank of first lieutenant. She dressed like
her brother officers, having a gold stripe
running down the trouser legs, wearing
q felt hat with gold cord, and an Off
GERS oyereoat. Her jacket was cut like
blouse, and fitted loosely at the neck.
when / had on my overeoat," DR..
Walker declared, Il looked every inch
the man, and am sure acted it,"
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 T. Walker, A. A. Sur
geon, U. S. Army"
She became celebrated in the United
States and England as a lecturer during
the half century following the Civil war
n 1 Lao, v,nlriYI Thivfr- sa3 ii 10,
mey" she once said, echoing an inter
viewers question. "Yes-of course-by
Inbred people But they are few. When
anyone does say anything unpleasant, |
usually have something to say in return
which makes us quits. Oh, tell you,
trousers are great thing"
Occasionally. a policeman, failing to
recognize the little, gray-haired woman,
placed her under. arrest. This recently
happened in Chicago. Showing the docu-
ments which gave her the right to wear
masculine attire, she was released, Her
only remark regarding the guardian of
the law was:
Hes an old IDIOT
Although pioneer in the woman suf-
frage movement, Dr.. Walker was out of
sympathy with the methods of some Of
her sisteT-workers.
women viii get suffrage just as soon
as they stop making fools of themselves"
she declared recently with considerable
vigor. They've got to stop talking so
much and do some work. These everlast-
ing amendments viii never get them
their rights. They want to state what
they want and stick to it,