Women in the Army

The annals of American military history, particularly during times of great conflict, reveal a compelling narrative of women’s involvement. Their contributions, though often overlooked, were multifaceted and significant. Within the sphere of the army, two primary roles emerge for women: the first, as a vivandiere, daughter of the regiment, or helpmate to their soldier husbands, and the second, albeit less common, as soldiers themselves, marching in the ranks and facing the perils of battle alongside their male counterparts. This exploration delves into the inspiring stories of these women, highlighting their resilience, bravery, and unwavering dedication.

The American Revolution, a crucible of independence, witnessed the service of numerous courageous women. Many served alongside their husbands, who were enlisted soldiers. These women were wives who embodied steadfast loyalty and resilience, they endured the hardships and dangers of military life with unwavering spirit, keeping pace with the marching ranks, sharing burdens, privations, and the constant threat of peril.

Some women displayed extraordinary heroism, even surpassing their husbands in valor and patriotism. Jemima Warner’s name stands as a testament to such exceptional women, revered as a devoted wife, a fearless heroine, and a fervent patriot. Women in the Army such as Jemima Warner played a key role in military success.

Jemima Warner, a native of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, married James Warner, a private in Captain Smith’s company, part of Daniel Morgan’s rifle corps. In the autumn of 1775, she followed her husband north, joining him at Prospect Hill, Cambridge. Morgan’s riflemen were an elite unit, consistently assigned to the most perilous posts. James Warner, despite his physical strength, lacked the fortitude required for extraordinary emergencies. Women in the Army such as Jemima Warner were key to overcoming such obstacles. He needed a steadfast companion, one superior to himself in the face of hardship and danger, and in Jemima, he found precisely that. She possessed both the physical presence and the inner strength of a true heroine, her spirit matching the formidable challenges of the campaigns against Canada.

The Canadian campaign proved to be one of the most arduous and demanding of the Revolution. General Arnold’s march through the Maine wilderness was fraught with delays, misfortunes, and losses that would have demoralized all but the most resolute. The men faced wearisome marches, floods, bitter cold, and the gnawing pangs of famine, testing their strength and resolve to their utmost limits. During these critical moments, Private Warner was one of those whose soldiership faltered under the strain.

Morgan’s troops led the advance, enduring incredible labor and hardship as they ascended the Dead River and crossed the highlands into Canadian territory, a grueling 120 miles from Quebec. With their rations dwindling, they faced a vast swamp, submerged under two to three feet of icy water. Smith’s and Hendrick’s companies reached the swamp first, halting to wait for stragglers. Mrs. Warner arrived with another woman, the wife of Sergeant Grier of Hendrick’s company, another heroine, who was also struggling, but less unfortunate than Mrs. Warner. As the soldiers waded into the freezing water, breaking the ice with their gunstocks, the women bravely followed. Someone then shouted, "Where is Warner?"

Jemima, realizing her husband’s absence, frantically searched for him. Warner’s spirit had broken. Having prematurely consumed his rations, he saw no hope. Jemima, accustomed to his failings, had been hoarding food through her own sacrifices. Women in the Army like Jemima had a unique ability to persevere in the face of adversity. She roused him and urged him to rejoin his comrades, but the army had moved on, leaving them to navigate the wilderness alone.

Refusing to succumb to despair, she cheered her husband, driving away thoughts of perishing in the wilderness. Despite her own hardship, the young soldier could have survived with a fraction of her courage and fortitude. Leading the way through swamps and snow, she pushed her husband onward, feeding him from her meager supply of ember-baked cakes, barely eating herself. Women in the Army understood sacrifice. They were more than halfway to Sertigan on the Chaudiere River when Warner collapsed.

Despite her pleas, he refused to rise. Her efforts were wasted. The faint-hearted soldier had reached his breaking point. Jemima, realizing the futility of her efforts, filled his canteen, placed it and the last of her bread beside him, and went down the river in search of help.

She encountered two army officers and two friendly Native Americans in a boat. Despite her pleas, they could only offer her enough food to survive, as their mission was to retrieve a sick officer. Returning to her husband, she found him alive but failing. When the canoe party returned, bearing the dying officer, her pleas to take Warner were again denied.

Jemima remained by her husband’s side until his death. She closed his eyes, covered his body, and then, with a heavy heart, strapped his powder horn and pouch to herself, shouldered his rifle, and continued her trek toward Quebec. Her determination to carry his arms to the war, even after his death, highlights her fortitude.

The same brave spirit that made her an admirable helpmate sustained her through hardships and perils on her journey to the settlement. There, she waited to regain her strength. Her endurance was considered a miracle. Welcomed by the friendly Canadian peasants, she passed from parish to parish.

Her subsequent life remains shrouded in obscurity. Regardless of her later life, Jemima Warner’s name deserves a place on the roll of revolutionary heroines. She was later killed, becoming the first female casualty of war in the United States.

While fewer women served as enlisted soldiers, instances of disguised service were more frequent. They served as couriers, gliding through enemy lines disguised as men. Women in the Army took on male disguises to take on high-risk missions. They deceived besiegers by wearing male attire.

Grace and Rachel Martin, wives of patriot soldiers, learned of a British courier carrying important dispatches. Disguised in their husbands’ clothing, they ambushed the courier and his escort, seizing the papers. They then delivered the documents to General Greene.

Deborah Samson’s story is one of the most remarkable examples of female enlistment. Driven by patriotic fervor, she disguised herself as a man and enlisted in the American army. She saw no way to serve her country other than to adopt a male persona and join the war effort.

Born in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Deborah Sampson grew up in humble circumstances. She became a schoolteacher before the age of eighteen. She saved money to purchase coarse fustian and secretly made a suit of men’s clothes.

She informed her friends that she sought higher wages and departed with her disguise. She presented herself at the American army camp, posing as a young man eager to fight for independence.

Enlisting for the duration of the war, she was enrolled under the name Robert Shirtliffe in Captain Nathan Thayer’s company. As a homeless recruit, she was welcomed into Captain Thayer’s family and received initial training.

Accustomed to physical labor, she possessed a robust constitution. She acquired precision in manual exercise. The recruits received uniforms via lottery. Robert altered the ill-fitting uniform to suit him, explaining his sewing skills by saying his mother had no daughters.

While living with Captain Thayer’s family, she attracted the attention of a young girl. She engaged in a flirtation. Mrs. Thayer cautioned her about trifling with the girl’s feelings. However, the departure of Robert soon ended the romance.

For three years, she served as a soldier. She gained the confidence of officers. She displayed boldness under fire. The first time she was wounded, she received a severe sword cut to the head.

Four months later, she received another wound in her shoulder. She feared her sex would be discovered. She recovered and returned to the ranks.

Later, she contracted a brain fever and was taken to the hospital. The doctor discovered her secret. He provided her with medical attention and moved her to his house for better care.

After her recovery, Doctor Binney arranged for her to deliver a letter to General Washington. He had likely discovered her secret.

She delivered the letter to Washington and was given a discharge and a note containing advice and money. She was grateful for Washington’s discretion and forbearance.

After the war, she married Benjamin Gannet. During Washington’s presidency, she was invited to the capital, and Congress granted her a pension and land for her service.

In the War of 1812, women shared the duties of soldiers, especially on the Canadian border and the western frontier. They guarded homes and proved their bravery.

The Mexican-American War presented peculiar hardships and dangers. Despite these, Mrs. Coolidge displayed martial ardor. Born in Missouri, she married a Mexican trader. After his death in Santa Fe, she disguised herself as a man and enlisted in a Missouri company under the name James Brown.

She joined a force of 1,658 men marching to Santa Fe, New Mexico. As an excellent horsewoman, she attracted the attention of General Stephen Kearny, who selected her as a messenger to the war department.

Accompanied by a guide, she set out on a journey to Leavenworth. They were attacked by four mounted Mexicans. She and her guide fought them off. She was wounded in the arm. She took one of the Mexican’s horses and continued her journey.

They arrived in Pecos and then Las Vegas. They crossed the Cimarron River. They were pursued by 50 mounted Native Americans. They dashed through the line of warriors.

Only five warriors continued the pursuit. Eventually, the guide’s horse fell, and he was stunned. Mrs. Coolidge rescued him. They were attacked by the remaining warriors. They fought them off and continued to Fort Leavenworth.

After delivering her dispatches, she was promoted to sergeant and ordered to Matamoras. She later accompanied the army to Mexico City and took part in the storming of Chapultepec.

During the Civil War, women on the frontier faced similar dangers as those in the War of 1812. With the army withdrawn, they were left unprotected from Native Americans, Mexican bandits, and American outlaws.

With their husbands and brothers away fighting, women had to defend their homes. They had to be vigilant and courageous. They were effectively soldiers in the home army.

Sometimes, the only option was to flee. At other times, they stood their ground, defending their homes.

On the Texas border in 1862, a woman defended her home from Mexican horse thieves. She stood at her door with a revolver and threatened to shoot anyone who tried to take her horses. They left.

On another occasion, she shot and killed an outlaw who tried to drag her from her horse. The other outlaw begged for mercy. She let him go.

The Sioux War in Minnesota in 1862 was marked by the suffering and bravery of women.

Two sisters living on the Minnesota River were attacked by Sioux Indians. The Indians killed their children and burned their house.

They set out for the nearest house but found it destroyed. The younger sister gave up in despair, but the older sister urged her on. They lost their way in the woods.

Exhausted and famished, they collapsed. The younger sister died. The older sister stayed beside her corpse for two days.

Finally, she found the strength to continue. She cut off the soles of her sister’s shoes and fastened them to her feet. She found water and wild fruit.

She was found by a party of volunteers and brought to the nearest settlement.

Despite the dangers, women on the frontier continued to maintain their homes.

When the veterans returned, they found their farms in good condition.

During the war, these women were the irregular forces of the soldiers. They fought, marched, stood guard, and were taken prisoner. They experienced the horrors of war and were under fire.

Some women enlisted in the army disguised as men.

Louisa Wellman of Iowa enlisted in an Iowa regiment. She was known as "Doctor Ned" for her nursing skills.

She took part in the storming of Fort Donelson. She was wounded at the Battle of Shiloh.

Her sex was discovered by the surgeon who treated her wound. She was transferred to the ambulance department.

She assisted wounded soldiers on the battlefield. She carried bandages and stimulants in her saddlebags.

She was with General Grant during the Vicksburg campaign. She shared the hardships of the soldiers.

She extended her sympathy to both Union and Confederate soldiers.

During the bombardment of Charleston in 1863, a young woman joined her husband in one of the forts.

She remained there for 60 days, enduring constant bombardment.

Her only food was the soldiers’ rations, and her drink was brackish water. The fort was eventually evacuated. She was carried in an ambulance in honor of her courage.

Sarah Stover and Maria Seelye enlisted in the Federal Army.

After the Battle of Chancellorsville, they were separated. Stover was captured. Seelye disguised herself as a woman and went to Richmond to rescue her friend.

She obtained a pass to Libby Prison and found Stover. They escaped and made their way back to the Union lines.

They rejoined their regiment and were later discharged.

The stories of women who served as soldiers often reveal motives of love and devotion. Sometimes, a maiden followed her lover to war. Sometimes, a mother enlisted to nurse a wounded son.

In 1864, a small soldier was struck by a shell. The soldier was a woman who had enlisted to be near her brother.

The surgeon discovered her secret. She had enlisted after her brother was drafted.

She had made herself known to her brother and had stayed near him. After the battle, she was told that her brother had been killed. She died from the shock.