“The Adventures of a Girl Soldier who Fought in the Battles of Shiloh and Perryville.”

Joined
May 18, 2005
Location
Spring Hill, Tennessee
We have all read more than once during this rebellion the story of some femme militaire, whose heroism in doing service for the Union was only equaled by her intense devotion to a comrade. And in the yet unwritten history of the war these women will form the heroines of many a refreshing narrative, to lessen the tedium of marches and battles, and building of bridges. There was one of them at the Police Court yesterday—a sad culmination of an over-flowing cup of suffering and self denial. The poor girl said that her name was Mary Francis; she could not have been more than nineteen, and was slender and blonde. She might have been handsome before her military service commenced, but toilsome marches and sentry watching, and exposure to wind and storm, had robbed her of her charms. More than all she chewed tobacco! But after all she is not to be blamed for that. The dispiriting monotony of the camp life has given many of the stronger sex to drunkenness and profanity.

The girl soldier was arrested near Camp Douglas, in this city, a day or two ago. A guard had insulted her. She attacked the guard and whipped him—brave defender that he was! Thence her present sorrows proceeded. She was ironed, taken to the armory, and there arraigned at the morning session of the court yesterday. Not at all downhearted, the girl told her story in a few words, and honestly.

She enlisted as a private in the 52d Ohio regiment at Columbus, Ohio; fought at Shiloh, and again at Perryville, where she was dangerously wounded in the breast. After the latter battle she was placed in hospital at Louisville, and it was then that her sex was first discovered. Although the wound she had received was of a serious kind, yet Private Mary Francis, who had fought in two battles, was still brave of heart, and rallying from disease she speedily convalesced. As soon as she had recovered, the military authorities gave her transportation to Columbus, Ohio. She visited that place, and was cruelly received by her step-father. Having several dollars left from her military wages, she determined to buy a passage to Chicago, in the hopes of securing employment in this great city. Arriving here the above mentioned mishap befell her at Camp Douglas.

She was questioned closely several times on all these fact, but there was no difference in the answer. Her statement was evidently the plain unexaggerated truth, while a book could have been filled with the minor details of her experience. She refused to assign any motive for her enlistment—simply said that she like the service, and that was all. The girl then reseated herself in the prisoner’s box, emptied another handful of tobacco into her mouth, and resigned herself to her fate.

Judge Miller, in consideration of her patriotic services, ordered the defendant to be discharged, but expressed the hope that some people in Chicago would be charitable enough to take in the erring young girl and give her employment.—Chicago Times, 18th

From the Daily Ohio Statesman., December 21, 1862, page 2.
 
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