Deborah Sampson
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Deborah Sampson Gannett, also known as Deborah Samson or Deborah Sampson, (December 17, 1760 – April 29, 1827) was a Massachusetts woman who disguised herself as a man in order to serve in the
Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...
during the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
. Born in Plympton, Massachusetts, she served under the name Robert Shirtliff – sometimes spelled Shurtleff or Shirtleff. She was in uniform for 17 months before her gender was discovered in 1783 when she required medical treatment after contracting a fever in
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. After her real identity was made known to her commander, she was honorably discharged at
West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...
. After her discharge, Sampson met and married Benjamin Gannett in 1785. In 1802, she became one of the first women to go on a lecture tour to speak about her wartime experiences. She died in
Sharon, Massachusetts Sharon is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,575 at the 2020 census. Sharon is part of Greater Boston, about southwest of downtown Boston, and is connected to both Boston and Providence by the Prov ...
, in 1827. She was proclaimed the Official Heroine of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on May 23, 1983, and in 1985 the
United States Capitol Historical Society The United States Capitol Historical Society (USCHS) is an organization chartered by the United States Congress, beginning in 1962, to educate the public on the heritage and history of the United States Capitol, as well as its institutions and tho ...
posthumously honored "Deborah Samson" with the Commemorative Medal.


Early life

Deborah Sampson was born on December 17, 1760, in
Plympton, Massachusetts Plympton is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 2,930 at the 2020 census. The United States senator William Bradford was born here. History Plympton was first settled in 1662 by Reverend Justin P. Dale ...
, at the ancestral home of her grandparents, a house that still stands today. Her father's name was Jonathan Sampson (or Samson) and her mother's name was Deborah Bradford. Her siblings were Jonathan (b. 1753), Elisha (b. 1755), Hannah (b. 1756), Ephraim (b. 1759), Nehemiah (b. 1764), and Sylvia (b. 1766). Sampson's mother was the great-granddaughter of William Bradford, the second Governor of Plymouth Colony. Sampson's father was also a descendant of Henry Samson. Sampson's family was told that her father died in a shipwreck, but evidence indicates that he actually abandoned the family and migrated to
Lincoln County, Maine Lincoln County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 35,237. Its county seat, seat is Wiscasset, Maine, Wiscasset. The county was founded in ...
. He had a
common-law wife Common-law marriage, also known as non-ceremonial marriage, marriage, informal marriage, de facto marriage, more uxorio or marriage by habit and repute, is a marriage that results from the parties' agreement to consider themselves married, follo ...
named Martha, with whom he had at least two children, and returned to Plympton in 1794 to attend to a property transaction. In 1770, a man named Jonathan Sampson was indicted for murder in
Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...
, but it is uncertain whether this individual was Sampson's father because the case never went to trial, so no details about the defendant are known. Jonathan Sampson died in Maine some time after 1807. After Sampson's father abandoned the family her mother was unable to provide for her children, so she placed them in the households of friends and relatives, a common practice in 18th-century New England, and Sampson was placed in the home of a maternal relative. When her mother died shortly afterwards, she was sent to live with Reverend Peter Thatcher's widow Mary Prince Thatcher (1688–1771), who was then in her eighties. Historians believe Sampson learned to read while living with Widow Thatcher, who might have wanted Sampson to read
Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...
verses to her. Upon Thatcher's death, Sampson was sent to live with the Jeremiah Thomas family in
Middleborough Middleborough is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 24,405 as of 2023. The census-designated place of Middleborough Center corresponds to the main village and commercial center of the town. It is the seco ...
, where she worked as an
indentured servant Indentured servitude is a form of Work (human activity), labor in which a person is contracted to work without salary for a specific number of years. The contract called an "indenture", may be entered voluntarily for a prepaid lump sum, as paymen ...
from 1770 to 1778. Although treated well, she was not sent to school like the Thomas children because Thomas was not a believer in the education of women. Sampson was able to overcome Thomas's opposition by learning from Thomas's sons, who shared their school work with her. This method was apparently successful; when her time as an indentured servant was over at age 18, Sampson made a living by teaching school during the summer sessions in 1779 and 1780. She worked as a weaver in the winter; Sampson was highly skilled and worked for the Sproat Tavern as well as the Bourne, Morton, and Leonard families. During her time teaching and weaving, she boarded with the families that employed her. Sampson was also reported to have
woodworking Woodworking is the skill of making items from wood, and includes cabinetry, furniture making, wood carving, joinery, carpentry, and woodturning. History Along with stone, clay and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials worked b ...
and mechanical aptitude. Her skills included
basket weaving Basket weaving (also basketry or basket making) is the process of weaving or sewing pliable materials into three-dimensional artifacts, such as baskets, mats, mesh bags or even furniture. Craftspeople and artists specialized in making baskets ...
, and light
carpentry Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, Shipbuilding, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. C ...
such as producing milking stools and winter sleds. She was also experienced with fashioning wooden tools and implements including
weather vane A wind vane, weather vane, or weathercock is an instrument used for showing the direction of the wind. It is typically used as an architectural ornament to the highest point of a building. The word ''vane'' comes from the Old English word , m ...
s, spools for thread, and quills for weaving. She also produced pie crimpers, which she sold door to door.


Physical description

Sampson was approximately to tall, above average when compared to the average male of her day, who was around , and the average woman, who was about . Her biographer, Hermann Mann, who knew her personally for many years, implied that she was not thin, writing in 1797 that "her waist might displease a
coquette A coquette is a flirtatious woman. It may refer to: *'' Coquette aesthetic'', a 2020s fashion trend that which focuses on femininity with sweet elements * ''The Coquette'' (film), a 1917 German silent comedy film * ''Coquette'' (film), an Academy ...
." He also reported that her breasts were very small, and that she bound them with a linen cloth to hide them during her years in uniform. Mann wrote that "the features of her face are regular; but not what a
physiognomist Physiognomy () or face reading is the practice of assessing a person's character or personality from their outer appearance—especially the face. The term can also refer to the general appearance of a person, object, or terrain without referenc ...
would term the most beautiful." A neighbor who as a boy knew Sampson in her later years remarked that she was "a person of plain features." A descendant named Pauline Hildreth Monk Wise (1914–1994) was believed by relatives to have strongly resembled Sampson, based on comparison of Pauline's physical appearance to a 1797 portrait of Sampson, contemporary descriptions of Sampson's features and height, and Pauline's height, which at was taller than most men. Sampson's appearance – tall, broad, strong, and not delicately feminine – contributed to her success at pretending to be a man.


Army service

In early 1782, Sampson joined an Army unit in
Middleborough, Massachusetts Middleborough is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 24,405 as of 2023. The census-designated place of Middleborough Center, Massachusetts, Middleborough Center corresponds to the main village and commercia ...
, under the name Timothy Thayer. She collected a bonus and then failed to meet up with her
company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...
as scheduled. Inquiries by the company commander revealed that Sampson had been recognized by a local resident at the time she signed her enlistment papers. Her deception uncovered, she repaid the portion of the bonus that she had not spent, but she was not subjected to further punishment by the Army. The
Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...
church to which she belonged learned of her actions and withdrew its fellowship, meaning that its members refused to associate with her unless she apologized and asked forgiveness. In May 1782, Sampson enlisted again, this time in
Uxbridge, Massachusetts Uxbridge is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States, first colonized in 1662 and incorporated in 1727. It was originally part of the town of Mendon, and named for the Earl of Uxbridge. The town is located southwest of Boston an ...
, under the name "Robert Shirtliff" (also spelled in some sources as "Shirtliffe" or "Shurtleff"). She joined the Light Infantry Company of the
4th Massachusetts Regiment The 4th Massachusetts Regiment also known as 3rd Continental Regiment or Learned's Regiment, was raised on April 23, 1775, by Colonel Ebenezer Learned outside Boston, Massachusetts. The regiment saw action at the Battle of Bunker Hill, New Yor ...
, under the command of Captain George Webb. This unit, consisting of 50 to 60 men, was first quartered in
Bellingham, Massachusetts Bellingham () is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 16,945 at the 2020 census. The town sits on the southwestern fringe of Metropolitan Boston, along the rapidly growing "outer belt" that is Interstate 49 ...
, and later mustered at
Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engl ...
with the rest of the regiment commanded by Colonel
William Shepard William Shepard (Contemporary records, which used the Julian calendar and the Annunciation Style of enumerating years, recorded his birth as November 20, 1737. The provisions of the British Calendar (New Style) Act 1750, implemented in 1752, ...
. Light Infantry Companies were elite troops, specially picked because they were taller and stronger than average. Their job was to provide rapid flank coverage for advancing regiments, as well as
rearguard A rearguard or rear security is a part of a military force that protects it from attack from the rear, either during an advance or Withdrawal (military), withdrawal. The term can also be used to describe forces protecting lines, such as Line of c ...
and forward
reconnaissance In military operations, military reconnaissance () or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, the terrain, and civil activities in the area of operations. In military jargon, reconnai ...
duties for units on the move. Because she joined an elite unit, Sampson's disguise was more likely to succeed, since no one was likely to look for a woman among soldiers who were specially chosen for their above average size and superior physical ability. In June or July 1782, Sampson participated in combat near
Tarrytown, New York Tarrytown is a administrative divisions of New York#Village, village in the administrative divisions of New York#Town, town of Greenburgh, New York, Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County, New York (state), New York, Unit ...
with about 30 infantrymen from her unit, who skirmished with a local band of
Tories A Tory () is an individual who supports a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalist conservatism which upholds the established social order as it has evolved through the history of Great Britain. The T ...
. Sampson was shot in her thigh and sustained a sword cut to her forehead. She begged her fellow soldiers not to take her to a doctor out of fear her sex would be discovered, but a soldier put her on his horse and took her to a hospital. A doctor treated her head wound, but she left the hospital before he could attend to her leg. She removed the ball herself with a
penknife Penknife, or pen knife, is a small folding knife. Today ''penknife'' is also the common British English term for both a pocketknife, which can have single or multiple blades, and for multi-tools, with additional tools incorporated into the desi ...
and
sewing needle A sewing needle, used for hand-sewing, is a long slender tool with a pointed tip at one end and a hole (or ''eye'') to hold the sewing thread. The earliest needles were made of bone or wood; modern needles are manufactured from high carbon steel ...
, but some of the shot was too deep to reach. As described in her later applications for a pension, her leg never fully healed. On April 1, 1783, she was reassigned to new duties, and spent seven months serving as a waiter to General John Paterson. On June 24, the President of Congress ordered
George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
to send a contingent of soldiers under Paterson to Philadelphia to help quell a rebellion of American soldiers who were protesting delays in receiving their pay and discharges. During the summer of 1783, Sampson became ill in Philadelphia and was cared for by Doctor Barnabas Binney (1751–1787). After Sampson fell unconscious due to fever, Dr. Binney removed her clothes to treat her and discovered the cloth she used to bind her breasts. Without revealing his discovery to army authorities, he took her to his house, where his wife, daughters, and a female nurse cared for her. In September 1783, following the signing of the Treaty of Paris, November 3 was set as the date for soldiers to muster out. When Dr. Binney asked Sampson to deliver a note to General Paterson, she correctly assumed that it would reveal her sex. In other cases, women who pretended to be men to serve in the army were reprimanded, but Paterson gave her a discharge, a note with some words of advice, and enough money to travel home. She was honorably discharged at
West Point, New York West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York (state), New York, General George Washington stationed his headquarters in West Point in the summer and fall of 1779 durin ...
, by General
Henry Knox Henry Knox (July 25, 1750 – October 25, 1806) was an American military officer, politician, bookseller, and a Founding Father of the United States. Knox, born in Boston, became a senior general of the Continental Army during the Revolutionar ...
on October 25, 1783, after a year and a half of service. An official record of Deborah Sampson Gannet's service as "Robert Shirtliff" from May 20, 1782, to October 25, 1783, appears in the "Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War" Volume 14 p. 164.


Marriage

Sampson married Benjamin Gannett (1757–1837), a
Sharon, Massachusetts Sharon is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,575 at the 2020 census. Sharon is part of Greater Boston, about southwest of downtown Boston, and is connected to both Boston and Providence by the Prov ...
, farmer, in
Stoughton, Massachusetts Stoughton (official name: Town of Stoughton) is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 29,281 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The town is located approximately from Boston, from Providence, Rh ...
, on April 7, 1785. After her discharge and marriage to Gannett, Sampson lived as a typical farmer’s wife. They were the parents of four children: Earl (b. 1786), Mary ("Polly") (b. 1788), Patience (b. 1790), and Susanna Baker Shepherd, whom they adopted after she was orphaned. They lived with Gannett's father on the Gannett family farm, but had limited success because it was smaller than average and the land had been overworked.


Life after the military

In January 1792, Sampson petitioned the Massachusetts State Legislature for pay that the army had withheld because she was a woman. The legislature granted her petition and Governor
John Hancock John Hancock ( – October 8, 1793) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father, merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot (American Revolution), Patriot of the American Revolution. He was the longest-serving Presi ...
signed it. The legislature awarded her 34 pounds plus interest back to her 1783 discharge. A biography by Herman Mann was published in 1797, ''The Female Review: Life of Deborah Sampson, the Female Soldier in the War of Revolution''. In 1802, Sampson began giving
lectures A lecture (from ) is an speech, oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject, for example by a university or college teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical information, history, backgroun ...
about her wartime service. After extolling the virtues of traditional gender roles for women, she left the stage, returned in her army uniform, then proceeded to perform a complicated and physically taxing military drill and ceremony routine. She performed both to earn money and to justify her enlistment, but even with these speaking engagements, her husband and she were unable to pay all the family's expenses. She frequently had to borrow money from her family and from her friend
Paul Revere Paul Revere (; December 21, 1734 O.S. (January 1, 1735 N.S.)May 10, 1818) was an American silversmith, military officer and industrialist who played a major role during the opening months of the American Revolutionary War in Massachusetts, ...
. Revere also wrote letters to government officials on her behalf, requesting that she be awarded a pension for her military service and her wounds. In 1804, Revere wrote to U.S. Representative
William Eustis William Eustis (June 10, 1753 – February 6, 1825) was an early American physician, politician, and statesman from Massachusetts. Trained in medicine, he served as a military surgeon during the American Revolutionary War, notably at the Batt ...
of
Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
on Sampson's behalf. A military pension had never been requested for a woman, but Revere wrote: "I have been induced to enquire her situation, and character, since she quit the male habit, and soldiers uniform; for the more decent apparel of her own gender... humanity and justice obliges me to say, that every person with whom I have conversed about her, and it is not a few, speak of her as a woman with handsome talents, good morals, a dutiful wife, and an affectionate parent." On March 11, 1805, Congress approved the request and placed Sampson on the Massachusetts Invalid Pension Roll at the rate of four dollars a month. On February 22, 1806, Sampson wrote once more to Revere requesting a loan of ten dollars: "My own indisposition and that of my sons causes me again to solicit your goodness in our favor though I, with Gratitude, confess it rouses every tender feeling and I blush at the thought of receiving ninety and nine good turns as it were – my circumstances require that I should ask the hundredth." He sent the ten dollars. In 1809, she sent another petition to Congress, asking that her pension as an invalid soldier be modified to start from her discharge in 1783. Had her petition been approved, she would have been awarded back pay of $960 ($48 a year for 20 years — approximately $13,800 in 2016). Her petition was initially denied, but when it came before Congress again in 1816 an award of $76.80 a year (about $1,100 in 2016) was approved. With this amount, she was able to repay all her loans and make improvements to the family farm.


Death

Sampson died of yellow fever on April 29, 1827. She was buried at Rock Ridge Cemetery in
Sharon, Massachusetts Sharon is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,575 at the 2020 census. Sharon is part of Greater Boston, about southwest of downtown Boston, and is connected to both Boston and Providence by the Prov ...
.


Spousal support

Four years after Sampson's death, her husband Benjamin Gannett petitioned Congress for a pension as the spouse of a veteran. In 1837, the committee overseeing his petition decreed that the history of the Revolution "furnished no other example of female heroism, fidelity and courage." Gannett was awarded a pension, but died before he could receive it.


Legacy


Deborah Sampson Act

In December 2020, The "Deborah Sampson Act" was signed into law, which would "eliminate barriers to care and services" faced by women veterans. Among its many provisions, the law created a Office of Women's Heath in the Office of Veterans' Affairs (VA).


Memorials

The town of Sharon memorializes her with a statue in front of the public library, the Deborah Sampson Park, and the "Deborah Sampson Gannett House", which is privately owned and not open to the public. The farmland around the home is protected to ensure no development occurs on the historic homestead. In 1906, the town of Plympton, Massachusetts, with the Deborah Sampson Chapter of the
Daughters of the American Revolution The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (often abbreviated as DAR or NSDAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a patriot of the American Revolutionary War. A non-p ...
, placed a boulder on the town green, with a bronze plaque inscribed to Sampson's memory. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the
Liberty Ship Liberty ships were a ship class, class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Although British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost cons ...
S.S. ''Deborah Gannett'' (2620) was named in her honor. It was laid down March 10, 1944, launched April 10, 1944, and scrapped in 1962. As of 2000, the town flag of Plympton incorporates Sampson as the Official Heroine of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.


Portrayals in art and media

* ''Portrait of Deborah: A Drama in Three Acts'' (1959) is a play by Charles Emery that made its debut at the Camden Hills Theatre, Camden, Maine, on February 19, 1959. * ''I'm Deborah Sampson: A Soldier of the Revolution'' (1977) by Patricia Clapp is a fictional account of Sampson's early life and experience in the Revolutionary War. * Sampson is depicted as Robert Shurtless, one of the comedic soldiers in The Rebel Mess in ''The American Revolution'' (1999) by Kirk Wood Bromley. *
Whoopi Goldberg Caryn Elaine Johnson (born November 13, 1955), known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg (), is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality.Kuchwara, Michael (AP Drama Writer)"Whoopi Goldberg: A One-Woman Character Parade". ...
portrayed Sampson in "Deborah Sampson: Soldier of the Revolution" (2003), episode 34 of ''
Liberty's Kids ''Liberty's Kids'' (stylized on-screen as ''Liberty's Kids: Est. 1776'') is an American animated historical fiction television series produced by DIC Entertainment Corporation, and originally aired on PBS Kids from September 2, 2002, to April 4 ...
''. * Alex Myers, a descendant of Sampson's, published ''Revolutionary'' (2014), a fictionalized account of her life. * Historian and journalist Alison Leigh Cowan presented "Deborah Sampson: Continental Army soldier," a biographical talk at
Saint Paul's Church National Historic Site Saint Paul's Church National Historic Site is a church and National Historic Site in Mount Vernon, New York, just north of the New York City borough of the Bronx. Established in 1765, Saint Paul's Church is one of New York's oldest parishes and ...
on July 7, 2016. *
Meryl Streep Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Known for her versatility and adept accent work, she has been described as "the best actress of her generation". She has received numerous accolades throughout her career ...
included Sampson in her speech at the
2016 Democratic National Convention The 2016 Democratic National Convention was a presidential nominating convention, held at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from July 25 to 28, 2016. The convention gathered delegates of the Democratic Party, the maj ...
, along with other women who had made history. * Sampson's story, as narrated by
Paget Brewster Paget Valerie Brewster ( ; born March 10, 1969) is an American actress. She first received recognition for her recurring role as Kathy on the fourth season of ''Friends''. She gained wider recognition as FBI Supervisory Special Agent Emily Pre ...
, was re-enacted in the fifth season premiere of ''
Drunk History ''Drunk History'' is an American educational comedy television series produced by Comedy Central, based on the Funny or Die web series created by Derek Waters and Jeremy Konner in 2007. Will Ferrell and Adam McKay are the show's executive p ...
'', with
Evan Rachel Wood Evan Rachel Wood (born September 7, 1987) is an American actress. She is the recipient of a Critics' Choice Television Award as well as nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. She began acting in the 1990s, a ...
portraying Sampson. * ''Cloaked in Courage: Deborah Sampson, Patriot Soldier'' is a book by Beth Anderson and published by Calkins Creek, 2022. * ''A Girl Called Samson: A Novel'' is a historical-fiction novel by Amy Harmon and published by Lake Union, 2023. * ''The Memoir of a Female Soldier: Deborah Sampson's American Revolution'' is a historical novel by Jan Lewis Nelson published by Massaemett Media, 2023.


See also

*
Cathay Williams Cathay Williams (September 1844 – 1893) was an American soldier. An African-American woman, she enlisted in the United States Army under the pseudonym William Cathay. Williams became the first female to enlist and the only documented woman to s ...
*
Anna Maria Lane Anna Maria Lane ( 1755–1810) was the first documented female soldier from Virginia to fight with the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. She dressed as a man and accompanied her husband on the battlefield, and was later awarded a p ...
*
Mary Ludwig Hays Mary Ludwig Hays (October 13, 1754 – January 22, 1832) was a woman who fought in the American War of Independence at the Battle of Monmouth. The woman behind the Molly Pitcher story is most often identified as Hays, but it is likely that the le ...
* Molly Corbin *
Eleonore Prochaska Marie Christiane Eleonore Prochaska (11 March 1785, in Potsdam – 5 October 1813, in Dannenberg) was a German female soldier who fought in the Prussian army against Napoleon during the War of the Sixth Coalition. Life Prochaska's father was a no ...
*
Agustina de Aragón Agustina Raimunda María Saragossa i Domènech (March 4, 1786 – May 29, 1857), better known as Agustina of Aragón, was a Spanish woman who defended Spain during the Peninsular War, first as a civilian and later as a professional officer in ...
* Sally St. Clair


References


Further reading

* Bohrer, Melissa Lukeman. ''Glory, Passion, and Principle: The Story of Eight Remarkable Women at the Core of the American Revolution''. New York: Atria Books, 2003. * Michals, Debra
"Deborah Sampson"
National Women's History Museum. 2015. * Klass, Sheila Solomon. ''Soldier's Secret: The Story of Deborah Sampson''. New York: Henry Holt, 2009. * Leonard, Elizabeth D. ''All the Daring of the Soldier: Women of the Civil War Armies''. New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 1999. * McGovern, Ann, and Harold Goodwin. ''The Secret Soldier: The Story of Deborah Sampson''. New York: Scholastic Inc, 1975. Intended for juvenile audiences.
Deborah Sampson: American Revolutionary War Hero
Massachusetts Women Veterans Network, Massachusetts Department of Veterans' Services


External links



/nowiki>''] Retrieved April 15, 2012. * Michals, Debra
"Deborah Sampson"
National Women's History Museum. 2015. {{DEFAULTSORT:Sampson, Deborah 1760 births 1827 deaths Continental Army soldiers Female wartime cross-dressers Massachusetts militiamen in the American Revolution People from Sharon, Massachusetts People from Plymouth, Massachusetts People from Uxbridge, Massachusetts Women in the United States Army Women in the American Revolution People from Plympton, Massachusetts Colonial American women in warfare