This week's hero is...
Deborah Sampson
Deborah Sampson was born on December 17, 1760, in Plympton, Massachusetts. She grew up in an impoverished house with six other siblings. Her father disappeared when she was only nine. As a result Sampson spent most her early life working as an indentured servant to wealthy New Englanders. When she turned 18, she worked as a teacher and as a weaver. By the time she was in her 20s, she began doing something almost unheard of and answer the call of duty.
By 1782, the American Revolution was entering its final phase. Deborah Sampson disguised herself as a man (under the guise of Robert Shurtleff) and enlisted in the 4th Massachusetts Regiment. She was assigned to West Point, New York, in Captain George Webb's Company of Light Infantry. Her tasks would be to conduct reconnaissance of neutral territories in order to determine the strength of the British in that area. Her operations also took her deep into enemy held territory in Manhattan. In June 1782, Sampson personally led 30 men on an expedition against American Loyalists. In the engagement that followed, Sampson and her unit successfully defeated the loyalists and took 15 prisoners.
During the engagement, Sampson received two bullet wounds to her leg. In order avoid her true identity being discovered she performed a dangerous self-surgery. She successfully cut out one of the bullets with a penknife (the other was too deep to remove) and sewed up the wound with a needle and thread. A couple months later, the British signed the Treaty of Paris and the American Revolution came to an end. In the summer of 1783, Deborah Sampson became sick during an epidemic and a doctor discovered her true identity. Much to her surprise, Sampson received an honorable discharge for her service during the revolution and faced no legal consequences. Upon her return to Massachusetts, she received a hero's welcome.
After the war, Deborah Sampson married a farmer named, Benjamin Gannett and had four children. In 1792, she requested and received a pension from the Massachusetts State Legislature (signed by Governor John Hancock). She spend the rest of her life giving lectures on the Revolution before passing away on April 29, 1826, at the age of 66.
Deborah Sampson truly was a remarkable individual who fought American liberty. Like so many before and after she answered the call to duty and fought with great courage and leadership. She is definitely someone to be held in high regard.
https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/deborah-sampson
https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/deborah-sampson
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