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Deborah Sampson

by Denise Taylor from Douglasville, Georgia

139951Deborah SampsonEngraving by George Graham / Public domain

Deborah Sampson was born in Plympton, Massachusetts on December 17, 1760 and died in 1872. She read a copy of Tom Paine's "Common Sense" and decided to make herself some men's clothing and disguised herself as a man and fought in the Revolutionary War as a soldier. She went to Medway, Massachusetts, and enlisted in the Army as Robert Shirtliff.

Deborah served in the army from 1782 to 1783 in the Light Infantry Company, 4th Massachusetts regiment. She was wounded twice in battle. The first time she got a sword slash on her head during a skirmish with loyalist soldiers near Tarrytown, New York. A few months later she got shot in the shoulder with a musket ball, but it was not discovered that she was a woman when she got medical help.

Her true identity was not revealed until she got sick with yellow fever in Philadelphia. When she rejoined her troop, her doctor gave her commanding officer a letter telling them the truth. The officers were shocked, but Deborah had earned their respect. Instead of the punishment she expected, she received an honorable discharge from the Army.

Page created on 5/10/2020 6:08:51 PM

Last edited 4/27/2021 9:49:39 PM

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