Major Pauline Cushman, A Soldier's Story
Major Pauline Cushman, A Soldier's Story
Pauline Cushman, born Harriet Wood on June 10, 1833, in New Orleans, Louisiana, later became known to history as Major Pauline Cushman. While still young, she moved with her family to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where her parents operated a trading post. There, she learned to hunt, canoe, and track, skills she reportedly mastered as well as, if not better than, her brothers.
Drawn to the stage, Wood left Michigan for New York City and adopted the name Pauline Cushman, becoming an actress. She married a musician who later enlisted in the United States Army. His death from “camp fever”—likely malaria or typhus—left her widowed. In 1862, Cushman relocated to Louisville, Kentucky, where she appeared in the stage production The Seven Sisters.
During the play's run, a scene required her character to give a toast. Two Confederate sympathizers approached her and asked that the toast be made in honor of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. After consulting with Union officers, Cushman delivered the toast. She was immediately dismissed from the production, but the act gained her the trust of Confederate supporters in the area and allowed her to begin gathering intelligence on behalf of the Union Army.
Using her theatrical background and a cover story claiming she was searching for one of her brothers serving with Confederate forces, Cushman crossed enemy lines and gathered information on troop movements and fortifications. Her activities eventually drew suspicion. When concealed battle plans and drawings were discovered hidden in her shoes, she was arrested. Confederate General Braxton Bragg ordered her tried by a military tribunal, which returned a guilty verdict and sentenced her to execution by hanging.
Cushman’s execution was repeatedly delayed due to illness and injury, conditions she may have exaggerated using her acting skills. Before the sentence could be carried out, Union forces advanced into the area, and she was rescued.
Following the war, Cushman toured the country delivering lectures about her experiences. She lived in San Francisco for a time before relocating to Casa Grande, Arizona, where she helped operate a hotel and a livery stable. In 1893, suffering from chronic pain believed to be related to her wartime service, she returned to San Francisco.
Major Pauline Cushman died on December 2, 1893. She is buried at Presidio National Cemetery, where she was laid to rest with military honors.
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a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
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