America's First Woman Warrior: The Courage of Deborah Sampson

In 1782 a 22-year-old Massachusetts farm girl disguised to avoid repetition, ``distinguished herself'' follows/good fix.gs as a 17-year-old boy if she's a girl at 22, then a she's a boy at 17 distinguished herself for bravery as a ranger and general's aide-de-camp for the next 18 months in the Continental Army. In their well-researched, novelistic biography, Freeman ( Fight Against Fear ) and psychoanalyst Bond ( Who Killed Virginia Woolf? ) recreate dialogue and describe their heroine's emotions as they theorize about her mixed patriotic and psychological motivations, discussing also recurring nightmares. Despite constant fear of discovery, Deborah Sampson, known as Robert Shurtliff, was an excellent soldier can you rephrase? the sexist language of marksman is particular awkward here; ``was an excellent soldier''? and successfully adjusted to the war's primitive conditions, training and battles. The discovery of her ruse by a doctor treating her for fever near war's end brought praise from the military and the first congressional award of a war pension to a woman. Sampson later married and gave lectures about her experiences. Her story provides valuable insights into Revolutionary War history. Illustrations not seen by PW. (May)