“The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America,” Adams wrote. “I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival…It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.” John Adams wrote this to his wife Abigail at the dawn of our nation. Ole Johnny got it “mostly” right. It has been celebrated for generations with parades and fireworks, but to his dismay, we celebrate on the 4th rather than the 2nd (but that’s a whole other story). We all know Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, Revere, Washington and Hamilton, but few of us know of Knox, Bissel, Sampson or von Steuben. While they are all interesting and pivotal figures to the American revolution, time dictates that we focus on one.
History always picks winners and losers, but particularly for America, the pages of of our history were written by the blood of patriots that at extraordinary expense to their life and liberty suffered for democracy. Deborah Sampson was one of these patriots. With a runaway dad and an ailing mother, Deborah was for all purposes an orphan. Deborah ultimately became an indentured servant and remained as such until she was 18. Deborah’s family came to America on the Mayflower, both her mother and father’s side.
In May of 1782, Deborah enlisted in the Continental Army under the name Robert Shirtliff. As a member of the 4th Massachusetts Regiment light infantry (an elite group picked because they were taller and stronger than average), Deborah fought as a patriot and eventually was shot in the thigh and sustained a sword cut to her head. A doctor treated her head wound but Deborah escaped the hospital before the bullet wound in her leg was treated. She feared that she would be discovered as a woman, so she dug the bullet out with a pen knife and sewed it up with a sewing needle! One tough broad to be sure, and all of this without pain killer (it was 1782 remember). Deborah missed getting out all of the bullet and it caused an injury that never fully healed. She immediately went back to the fight and continued until the summer of 1783 when she fell ill from a fever and was discovered as a woman. The fall of 1783 saw the mustering out of the troops because the Revolution had succeeded! Deborah, through many circumstances, was honorably discharged by General Henry Knox on October 25th 1783 after fighting honorably in an elite unit for a year and a half.
There were certainly other women who disguised themselves and fought for our independence but Deborah has an exceptional story. Her story serves as a reminder that unremarkable people from desperate backgrounds but with a vision of faith in a better world have always been the key to America. So, as we complain about our country, light our fireworks or bemoan our circumstances, pause and remember Deborah hiding in the corner digging a bullet out of her leg so that she could have the privilege to fight for freedom. Most of us can’t even imagine the anguish and pain she suffered, and because of her and many like her, we don’t have to. God Bless America, God shed his grace on thee and crowned thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.
Thank You Deborah!
Happy 4th of July Y’all!
