Today in America there is still a debate on whether or not women should be allowed to fight on the front lines. Well, it's a little too late for that. Deborah Sampson enlisted and fought during the Revolutionary War, and on top of that she was wounded twice.
Sampson was born in 1760, and by the time she was 10 years old she had become an indentured servant to a family with 10 sons. Very strong, she was a master at plowing fields, spreading fertilizer, milking cows, and stacking hay. She took on a somewhat androgynous role in the household, doing both mens' and womens' chores including carpentry, spinning, sewing and weaving.
When she was 18, she was freed from her indentured servant position and looking for an adventure, decided she wanted to fight in the Revolutionary War. However, she was not allowed due to her gender. In order to pursue her goal, she took a radical step, she disguised herself as a man. Her first attempt, was less than successful because as she signed her name to enlist, those around her realized a woman's handwriting when they saw it. Her second time enlisting, she signed the name Robert Shurtliff and was chosen for the Light Infantry Company of the 4th Massachusetts Regiment.
During her time in the army, Deborah saw several bits of action and was involved in front line fighting. On July 3, 1782, she was hit by two musket balls in the thigh and a bullet grazed her forehead giving her a nasty gash. She begged her comrades to leave her on the field, but they would not and rode six miles to the hospital. After having her head wound treated she fled the hospital fearing that by treating the thigh wound, doctors would discover her secret, and instead removed the balls herself with a pen knife and sewing needle.
Although her leg never fully healed, she was promoted in 1783 and spent time serving General John Patterson. That summer she came down with a terrible fever, and was treated by a doctor named Barnabas Binnney. Removing her clothing was a necessity and he found out her secret. However, he kept it and had Deborah moved to his own home where his wife and daughters helped tend to her.
When Deborah recovered, Dr. Binney asked her to carry a letter to George Washington and she knew, as the phrase goes, that the "jig was up". General Washington never spoke one word to her and she received a honorable discharge from the service, a note with some words of advice, and a sum of money to bear expenses at home.
After several attempts to receive a pension from the United States government, she was finally granted one in 1816 which granted her $76.80 a year. She died in 1827 at the age of 66 years old.
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