Q: Who was the first known American woman to enlist in the Army?
A: Deborah Sampson Gannett enlisted in the Continental Army in 1778. Because women were not able to enlist at the time, she disguised herself as man and used her brother’s name, “Robert Shurtliff.” A tall and strong woman, Deborah wanted “to become one of the severest avengers of the wrong.” She was chosen for the Light Infantry Company of the 4th Massachusetts Regiment.
Deborah fought in several skirmishes. In the first, near Tarrytown, New York, she was injured by two musket balls in her thigh and a cut on her forehead. She begged to be left on the battlefield to die, but was taken to a hospital where doctors treated the cut on her head. She left before they could get to her other injury and discover her secret. Deborah ended up removing one of the musket balls herself using a knife and sewing needle. The other was too deep for her to extract.
Later, a doctor did end up discovering her secret while he was treating her for a fever, but he did not reveal her identity. She was honorably discharged in 1783. After her discharge, Deborah publicly revealed that she’d been in disguise.
Deborah went on to marry and have children but suffered many financial hardships. Like many soldiers, she had difficulty obtaining the pension she was due and in 1790, she began working publicly to secure her pension. She was aided by close friend Paul Revere. She was placed on the pension list in 1805 and was ultimately able to secure a general service pension in 1821.
