Private Deborah Samson Gannett, A Soldier's Story
Private Deborah Samson Gannett, A Soldier's Story
Deborah Sampson Gannett was born on December 17, 1760, in Plympton. Orphaned at a young age, she spent much of her childhood and adolescence as an indentured servant. Despite these constraints, she pursued education and independence, later working as a schoolteacher during the summer months and a weaver in the winter. She also supported herself through small-scale carpentry, an unusual trade for women of the period.
Drawn deeply to the cause of American independence, Sampson sought to participate actively in the Revolutionary War. In early 1782, she first enlisted in the Continental Army under the name Timothy Thayer, but her identity was discovered before she could complete her service. Undeterred, she enlisted again in May 1782 under the alias Robert Shirtliff and was assigned to the light infantry company of the 4th Massachusetts Regiment.
Serving as a private soldier, Sampson participated in operations in New York and was wounded during fighting near Tarrytown. She sustained two musket balls to the thigh and a sword wound to the forehead. Determined to conceal her identity, she removed one of the musket balls herself and left the other embedded in her leg, resulting in a permanent limp. When forced to seek treatment for her head wound, she narrowly avoided discovery.
In April 1783, Sampson was reassigned as an orderly to John Paterson, a Continental Army general. Two months later, she deployed to Philadelphia during unrest involving disgruntled Continental soldiers. While there, she fell seriously ill with a fever. During her treatment, her true identity was discovered.
Deborah Sampson was honorably discharged from the Continental Army in October 1783, having completed more than a year of active service.
After the war, she married and lived quietly for several years as a farmer’s wife. Eventually, she began publicly lecturing about her military service, becoming one of the earliest American women to speak openly about wartime experience. In 1797, her story was published by Herman Mann as The Female Review: Life of Deborah Sampson, the Female Soldier in the War of the Revolution.
As she aged, the wounds she sustained during her service caused increasing pain and disability. Sampson petitioned the federal government for recognition of her military service. In 1805, her request for a pension was granted, aided significantly by a letter-writing campaign led by Paul Revere, who appealed to Congressman William Eustis on her behalf.
Deborah Sampson Gannett died on April 29, 1827, reportedly from yellow fever. She is buried at Rock Ridge Cemetery.
Her legacy endures as one of courage, endurance, and determination, demonstrating that the fight for independence was carried not only by ideals, but by individuals willing to risk everything to serve.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
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