On December 17,1760 in Plympton, Massachusetts Deborah Sampson was born to her widow mother. She was the first of eight children. She had never met her father considering he left her mother before she was born. Up until the age of ten her relatives and friends watched over her. After the age of ten she knew she was headed towards becoming a servant. So she went off to become a servant for Benjamin Thomas of Middlesborough where she remained until she was twenty.
In 1781-82 the American army was low on volunteers so she decided to enlist under the name of Timothy Thayer, at the age of eighteen, but was unsuccessful because she was recognized.
She tried again on May 20, 1782 under the name of her brother, Robert Shurtleff. This time she was successful and her first assignment was in June of 1782 to spy on the British. In her second task in East Chester she was wounded in battle. She wrote, "I considered this as a death wound, or as being the equivalent of it, as it must, I thought, lead to the discovery of my sex," The doctor was suspicious but her sex was never discovered.
On another attack of the State House in Philadelphia. Deborah was granted leave along with four other soldiers. Deborah came down with a fever and when the doctor examined her she was not as lucky as before. The doctor discovered her secret but never reported her. He took her to his home and cared for her there until she was better. She later came out about her reasoning behind wanting to disguise herself as a male soldier, she said she wanted to get revenge of the British soldiers for all the deaths they caused on the colonists.
Once the war was over she was invited to the capital by President George Washington. She was granted the following pension from George Washington.
In 1781-82 the American army was low on volunteers so she decided to enlist under the name of Timothy Thayer, at the age of eighteen, but was unsuccessful because she was recognized.
She tried again on May 20, 1782 under the name of her brother, Robert Shurtleff. This time she was successful and her first assignment was in June of 1782 to spy on the British. In her second task in East Chester she was wounded in battle. She wrote, "I considered this as a death wound, or as being the equivalent of it, as it must, I thought, lead to the discovery of my sex," The doctor was suspicious but her sex was never discovered.
On another attack of the State House in Philadelphia. Deborah was granted leave along with four other soldiers. Deborah came down with a fever and when the doctor examined her she was not as lucky as before. The doctor discovered her secret but never reported her. He took her to his home and cared for her there until she was better. She later came out about her reasoning behind wanting to disguise herself as a male soldier, she said she wanted to get revenge of the British soldiers for all the deaths they caused on the colonists.
Once the war was over she was invited to the capital by President George Washington. She was granted the following pension from George Washington.