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- Oct 10, 2012
- Location
- Mt. Jackson, Va
Marie Brose Tepe Leonard (1834–1901), known as "French Mary" because she was born in France, was a vivandière who served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Tepe served with the 27th and 114th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiments. Vivandieres were typically a combination nurse, cook, seamstress, and laundress who travelled with the Zouaves. But Mary also carried a pistol and was known to use it.
At first she was with the 27 Pennsylvania Infantry but later joined Charles HT Collis and his Zouaves d'Afrique regiment, the 114th Pennsylvania. In this regiment, she received a soldier's pay with an additional quarter for each day's work in the hospital. She became the "daughter of the regiment." She worked alongside the 114th Pennsylvania as a tradesman, as well as cooking, washing and mending clothes. After a particularly deadly Battle of Chancellorsville, Tepe began working at a field hospital. Tepe and Annie Etheridge were awarded the Kearny Cross on May 16, 1863, after their work at the Battle of Chancellorsville, although Tepe declined the award. They were the only women awarded among 300 medals awarded.
Tepe joined the 114th in numerous campaigns and was, for the most part, uninjured. According to reports, she was injured in the ankle during the Battle of Fredericksburg but otherwise she had good luck. According to one account, Tepe was involved in fighting a total of thirteen times. At the Battle of Chancellorsville, Ella Tepe endured particularly dangerous conditions to bring water to exhausted troops. Tepe's regiment was present at the First Battle of Bull Run, Fair Oaks, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and Spotsylvania.
At first she was with the 27 Pennsylvania Infantry but later joined Charles HT Collis and his Zouaves d'Afrique regiment, the 114th Pennsylvania. In this regiment, she received a soldier's pay with an additional quarter for each day's work in the hospital. She became the "daughter of the regiment." She worked alongside the 114th Pennsylvania as a tradesman, as well as cooking, washing and mending clothes. After a particularly deadly Battle of Chancellorsville, Tepe began working at a field hospital. Tepe and Annie Etheridge were awarded the Kearny Cross on May 16, 1863, after their work at the Battle of Chancellorsville, although Tepe declined the award. They were the only women awarded among 300 medals awarded.
Tepe joined the 114th in numerous campaigns and was, for the most part, uninjured. According to reports, she was injured in the ankle during the Battle of Fredericksburg but otherwise she had good luck. According to one account, Tepe was involved in fighting a total of thirteen times. At the Battle of Chancellorsville, Ella Tepe endured particularly dangerous conditions to bring water to exhausted troops. Tepe's regiment was present at the First Battle of Bull Run, Fair Oaks, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and Spotsylvania.
Bringing the