matthew mckeon
Guest
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2005
Ran across an interesting tidbit today. An African American woman, enslaved in Missouri was declared "contraband" by the Army, and worked in an Union Army regiment throughout the war, seeing the Battle of Pea Ridge and other fights.
She ended up liking the army, and enlisted in 1866 as 'John Williams" Its reassuring to know that the medical exam for recruits in 1866 was so complete the army didn't realize she was a woman. Her outfit the 38th Infantry was send to New Mexico.
She was "discovered" and discharged a few years later after contracting small pox, and her doctor finally remembered that class in medical school. She lived the rest of her life in the West. In 1893, suffering a series of ailments, she applied for a pension, but was denied by the feds. Thanks Grover Cleveland.
She ended up liking the army, and enlisted in 1866 as 'John Williams" Its reassuring to know that the medical exam for recruits in 1866 was so complete the army didn't realize she was a woman. Her outfit the 38th Infantry was send to New Mexico.
She was "discovered" and discharged a few years later after contracting small pox, and her doctor finally remembered that class in medical school. She lived the rest of her life in the West. In 1893, suffering a series of ailments, she applied for a pension, but was denied by the feds. Thanks Grover Cleveland.
Bringing the