While reading chapter six of Give Me Liberty! I came across a woman named Deborah Sampson who disguised herself as a man and joined the revolutionary forces in 1782. The book discussed her very briefly in a section regarding women's roles and involvement in the war and I was incredibly interested to learn more about her. Here is a brief history of the life and legacy of Deborah Sampson.
Born December 17, 1760 in Plympton, Massachusetts, Deborah Sampson was one of Jonathan Sampson Jr. and Deborah (Bradford) Sampson's seven children. After Jonathan failed to return from a sea voyage - though it is speculated he left the family and migrated to Maine where he remarried - Sampson's mother was forced to place her children in different households to be cared for. At age 10, five years later, Deborah became an indentured servant to the Thomas family. She completed her indenture at the age of 18 and worked as a teacher during the summer of 1779 and 1780 and as a weaver in the winter.
In 1782, as the Revolutionary War continued, Sampson disguised herself as a man named Robert Shurtleff and joined the Fourth Massachusetts Regiment. In West Point, New York, she was assigned to the Light Infantry Company under Captain George Webb. She was meant to provide flank coverage for advancing regiments as well rearguard. In addition, she had to scout neutral territory and assess the build-up of men and material for units on the move.
During a battle on July 3, 1782, Sampson was hit by two musket balls and was cut on the forehead. Her head wound was treated but, fearful of her identity being discovered, left the hospital and took the bullet out herself with a penknife and sewing needle. She was ultimately discovered in 1783 when she fell ill during an epidemic, taken to a hospital, and lost consciousness where Doctor Barnabas Binney discovered the cloth Sampson had used to bind her breasts. But, instead of informing the authorities, he allowed her to recover in his home where his wife, daughters, and nurse took care of her.
She received an honorable discharge in October of 1783 after General Paterson, who she had worked under for several months, recommended she be rewarded for her service, and returned to Massachusetts where she wed Benjamin Gannet in the spring of 1785. She had three children, Earl, Mary, and Patience. The rest of her life followed that of a typical farmer's wife but in 1802 she began a year-long lecture tour about her experiences, the first woman to do so, in full military regalia. She also petitioned for a pension with the help of Paul Revere and, in 1821, ended up being one of the only women awarded a pension from the state of Massachusetts in the Revolutionary War. She died of yellow mountain fever in 1827.
In 1906, the town of Plympton placed a boulder on the town green with a bronze plaque in Sampson's honor. In WWII, Sampson had a ship, the Liberty Ship S.S. Deborah Gannett dedicated to her. As of 2000, the town flag of Plympton incorporates Sampson as the Official Heroine of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She continues to be regarded as a Daughter of Liberty for her role in the war.
Sources:
https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/deborah-sampson
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Deborah-Sampson
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deborah_Sampson#cite_note-young-5
http://historyofmassachusetts.org/deborah-sampson-woman-warrior-of-the-american-revoultion/
I remember reading about Deborah Sampson and being intrigued, so I love how much you've found on her life. I think it's amazing how she was able to join the army and become prominent enough to give a lecture tour in military regalia after she served. This post is very clear and informative, but isn't boring and the topic is great, as Sampson is an extremely interesting historical character I'm glad I got to learn more about.
ReplyDeleteDeborah Sampson was a character that really interested me as well, because she was pretty much an American version of one of my favorite disney princesses growing up, Mulan. I really find it admirable how dedicated she was to fighting in the revolution, even to the point of removing a bullet from her body by herself, so her identity wouldn't be discovered. I also love how she was given and "honorable discharge" and recognition by her town so much later, because it shows that women were occasionally able to break out of the traditional domestic sphere, and do great things that were normally considered a man's job.
ReplyDeleteI had the same thinking about Deborah Sampson being the coolest— a real-life Mulan. While the years following the Revolutionary War would see the concepts of a Republican Motherhood and the Cult of Domesticity become the norm, I believe that Sampson did in fact leave in women’s and some men’s minds alike the notion that women were capable of so much more than they were credited for. She is a feminist icon.
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