During the Revolution Thousands

During the Revolution thousands of women took an active role in both the American and British armies. Most were the wives of soldiers. These women, who maintained an almost constant presence in the military camps, were known as camp followers. It was difficult to state what their duties were as camp followers. Some of these duties consisted primarily of cooking, mending clothes, laundry, childcare, and nursing the sick. As a camp follower a women was paid a small wage and was supplied with half a ration of food for herself. Deborah Sampson, who joined the Massachusetts army register as Robert Shurtleff and served from 1781 to 1783 by falsifying her sex. She enlisted for the whole term of the war under Captain Nathan Thayer of Medway, Massachusetts. While serving three years in the army she performed many duties and was wounded while fighting. For three whole years she served in many duties and was wounded while fighting. Her sexual identity went undetected until she came down with a brain fever that was very prevalent among the soldiers. The attending physician, Dr. Binney discovered her true sexual identity while examining her. But said nothing, instead he took her back to his home town so she would receive the proper care. Immediately after Deborah healed from her sickness, she was gave a command. She had to deliver a letter into the hands of the commander in chief; she knew that her deception was over. General Washington spare Deborah the embarrassment and said nothing. Instead he discharged her from the service, gave her a note of encouragement and money for her expenses back home. www.aug.com tindall shi. During the Revolutionary War, black men and women served in a variety of capacities for the Continental and British armies. In 1775, African Americans supported the British because they promised freedom to those who fled rebel slaveholders. However, the British military was not always so magnanimous. More often they used blacks as workers to perform...