Cathy Williams (soldier)
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| Cathy Williams | |
|---|---|
| September 1844 - 1892 | |
| Place of birth | Independence, Missouri |
| Place of death | Trinidad, Colorado |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1866-1868 |
| Rank | Private |
| Unit | Buffalo Soldiers |
Cathy Williams (September 1844 - 1892) was one of the first recorded African American females to serve in the United States Army, posing as a man.
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[edit] Early life
Williams was born in Independence, Missouri in 1844. Her father was a free person of color, but her mother was a slave, which meant she also was legally a slave. During her adolescence, Williams worked as a house servant on the Johnson plantation on the outskirts of Jefferson City, Missouri. In 1861 Union forces occupied Jefferson City in the early stages of the Civil War. At that time, captured slaves were officially designated by the Union as "contraband," and many were forced to serve in military support roles such as cooks, laundresses, or nurses. At age seventeen, Cathy Williams was impressed (the act or policy of seizing people or property for public service or use.) as a servant into the 8th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment, commanded by Colonel William Plummer Benton.
[edit] Civil War experiences
For the next few years, Williams travelled with the 8th Indiana, accompanying the soldiers on their marches through Arkansas, Louisiana, and Georgia. She was present at the Battle of Pea Ridge and the Red River Campaign. At one time she was transferred to Little Rock, where she would have seen uniformed African-American men serving as soldiers, which may have inspired her own interest in military service. Later, Williams was transferred to Washington, D.C., where she served with General Philip Sheridan's command. When the war ended, Williams was working at Jefferson Barracks.
[edit] Military service
On November 15, 1866, Cathy Williams decided to pose as a man and enlisted in the United States Regular Army at St. Louis, Missouri. Tall (5'9") for the time and physically tough after many years of marches and hard labor, she passed a cursory physical examination. She enlisted on for three years using the name "William Cathay."
Two soldiers in her regiment knew her secret. One was her cousin, while the other was a "particular friend" who may have been a romantic interest. Neither man ever revealed her true identity.
Shortly after she enlisted, Williams contracted smallpox. Inevitably, she had to be hospitalized, but she managed to hide her gender even from the doctors. Williams rejoined her regiment, which by then had been posted in New Mexico.
Williams' military service lasted just under two years. Possibly due to the effects of smallpox, the New Mexico heat, or the cumulative effects of years of marching, her body began to show signs of strain. She was frequently hospitalized. The post surgeon finally discovered she was a woman and informed the post commander, who discharged her from the army on October 14, 1868.
[edit] Post-military life
Cathy Williams went to work as a cook at Fort Union, New Mexico. She then moved to Pueblo, Colorado. Williams married, but it ended disastrously when her husband stole her money and a team of horses. Williams had him arrested. She next moved to Trinidad, Colorado, where she made her living as a seamstress. She may also have owned a boarding house. It was at this time that Williams' story first became public. A reporter from St. Louis heard rumors of a female African-American who had served in the army, and came to interview her. A brief description of Williams' life and military service, told in her own words, was published in the St. Louis Daily Times on January 2, 1876.
In late 1889 or early 1890, Williams entered a local hospital for an unrecorded illness and remained there for some time. In June 1891, she applied for a disability pension based on her military service.
There was precedent for granting a pension to female soldiers. Both Deborah Sampson and Mary Hayes McCauley (better known as Molly Pitcher) had been granted pensions for disguising themselves as men to serve in the American Revolutionary War. Sampson's cause had been championed by none other than Paul Revere. However, Cathy Williams had no influential friends to help her.
In September 1891, a doctor employed by the Pension Bureau examined Williams. Despite the fact that she suffered from neuralgia and diabetes, had had all her toes amputated, and could only walk with a crutch, the doctor decided she did not qualify for disability payments. Her application was rejected.
The exact date of Williams' death is unknown, but it is assumed she died shortly after being denied a pension, probably sometime in 1892. Her simple grave marker would have been made of wood and deteriorated long ago. Thus her final resting place is now unknown.
[edit] References
- "Cathay Williams: From Slave to Female Buffalo Soldier" by Philip Thomas Tucker (2002)
[edit] References
- "Female Buffalo Soldier- With Documents". Stanford L. Davis, M.A. (2006-06-25). Retrieved on 2007-07-30.
- "William Cathay". African-American News & Issues (2005-09-03). Retrieved on 2007-01-15.
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