Women in the Revolutionary War

Friends,

Not only was there men fighting and serving in the Revolutionary War, there were women who served our country also.

Margaret Corbin followed her husband, John, when he joined the Continental Army in 1776.  During the battle of Fort Washington in 1776, an artillery bombardment fatally wounded John, who manned one of the two cannons.  Seeing him dead, she took his place, firing the cannon until she also was severely wounded.  Three years later, she became the first woman in the United States to receive a pension from Congress.

Ann Simpson Davis was handpicked by General Washington to carry messages to his generals while the Army was in eastern Pennsylvania,  Davis was an accomplished horsewoman and slipped through areas occupied by the British Army unnoticed.  She carried secret orders in sacks of grain to various mills around Philadelphia and Bucks County.  General Washington gave her a Letter of Commendation for her service.

It was not unusual to see women on the battlefield.  Deborah Simpson Gannett loved her county so much that she impersonated a male Soldier in order to join the Army and take part in combat.  She fought in several skirmishes and took musket balls in her thigh and a cut on her forehead from a bullet.  After the War, she requested equal payment for her service and received a pension that matched that of the men who fought.

Thanks to the women of our country, this 4th of July, we say "Happy Birthday, America."

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