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Off the Path

Revolutionary: the war heroine who disguised herself as a man to fight

By Davis Dunavin
Published July 1, 2026 at 12:32 PM EDT
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Historian Steve Connolly poses with a statue of Deborah Sampson in Sharon, Mass.
Davis Dunavin
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WSHU
Historian Steve Connolly poses with a statue of Deborah Sampson in Sharon, Mass.

The first woman in American history to get an honorable discharge or a military pension served almost 250 years ago. Her name was Deborah Sampson. She disguised herself as a man and fought in several skirmishes — and was injured — before she was found out. Her adopted hometown, Sharon, Massachusetts, still honors her memory.

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Davis Dunavin
Davis Dunavin loves telling stories, whether on the radio or around the campfire. He started in Missouri and ended up in Connecticut, which, he'd like to point out, is the same geographic trajectory taken by Mark Twain.
See stories by Davis Dunavin