Williams was assigned to the 38th U.S. Infantry Regiment after she passed the cursory medical examination. Cathay Williams was the only woman Buffalo Soldier. Private Cathay Williams was the only woman to serve in the US Army as a Buffalo Soldier. Your email address will not be published. 4 quotes from Cathy Williams: 'Lounging indolently in a black silk robe which was loosely tied at the front and which appeared to conceal nothing more than bare skin...she made a conscious effort not to stare at the bare legs with their sprinkling of dark hair...was he even wearing underwear? He stripped me naked was. I didn’t come across Cathay in my research; I’m glad I saw your post! “Some of them acted real bad to me.” Cathay Williams in Cowboy Poetry. Col. Benton of the 13th army corps was the officer that carried us off. As always, the USAHEC's exhibits will be open. “…That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Though her disability discharge meant the end of her tenure with the Army, her advenure continued. On November 15, 1866 she enlisted in the Army as a man. Retrieved May 15, 2013, from. in September of 1842. When she was hospitalized, the doctor discovered her secret. Cathay Williams (September 1844 – 1893) was an African-American soldier who enlisted in the United States Army under the pseudonym William Cathay.She was the first Black woman to enlist, and the only documented woman to serve in the United States Army posing as … Whose Story of Us We Is Told Is Us. Cathay Williams. Wells: Fierce Anti-Lynching Activist and Abolitionist, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathay_Williams, http://web.archive.org/web/20080616094119/http://www.goarmy.com/bhm/profiles_williams.jsp, http://www.blackpast.org/?q=aaw/williams-cathay-1850, http://www.buffalosoldier.net/CathayWilliamsFemaleBuffaloSoldierWithDocuments.htm, Heroes Among Us: Profiles in Courage: Cathay Williams. Fly Girls I did not want to go. He described her as 5' 9", with black eyes, black hair and black complexion. When the Civil War ended, Cathay needed to support herself. About that time, the Civil War broke out and she was freed by Union soldiers. Though this exam should have outed her as a woman, the Army did not require full medical exams at this time. She’s not listed in the 1900 census for Trinidad, Colorado. she thought', 'No I try and set my books in lots of different locales. Cathay Williams was born in Independence, Missouri in September of 1842. Related Black History Biographies: Benjamin O. Davis, Sr. 1877-1970 Benjamin O. Davis, Sr. dedicated his entire life and career to the military, beginning at a time when African... Bert Williams 1874-1922 Bert Williams was one of Broadway’s most successful performers during the first two decades of the 20th century. A handful of women had applied for military pensions before Cathay, most notably Deborah Sampson in 1816. She did so in 1866, disguised as a man, and served for almost two years. A reporter from St. Louis heard rumors of a female African-American who had served in the army and came to interview her. On November 15, 1866 she enlisted in the Army as a man. Her commanding officer, Captain Charles E. Clarke, stated that Cathay was “feeble both physically and mentally, and much of the time unfit for duty. During that time, Cathay Williams was part of the 8th Indiana. Few Americans today, black or white, know about the incredible life of Cathy Williams. Shortly after her enlistment, she contracted smallpox and was hospitalized. For a more challenging text, check out The Veteran Cathay Williams worksheet. It's said that at 17 years of age, Williams was pressed into service in a support role with Col. William Plummer Benton's 8th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment. She traveled with an infantry regiment through many states, and was present at the Battle Of Pea Ridge, the Red River Campaign, and served briefly under General Philip Sheridan. Only her cousin and her friend who were enlisted in the same regiment knew her secret. While living in Colorado, Cathay was approached by a reporter from St. Louis. In 1861, the year the American Civil War began, Union forces occupied Jefferson City. During the Civil War, captured slaves were considered contraband and were usually pressed into service supporting the military.