Women

crogers · Joined: 21 Oct 2008 Posts: 13

How long did the women work for in one day? (hours) What did they do?

Guest · Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 11:43 am Post subject:

Women worked as laundresses or officers' servants, often from sun up till sun down.

It took many hours to do wash (on a wash board) and to iron, to clean, and to cook.

The army employed women as laundresses to do washing for the enlisted men/soldiers.
Officers sometimes hired women to be servants to do their washing, cooking, and cleaning.

Fort_Davis_Expert · Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 27

We do know of one female buffalo soldier who managed to enlist and keep her sex a secret. Her name was Cathay William and she enlisted under the name of William Cathay. She served with the 38th Infantry in New Mexico from 1866 to 1868. When the post surgeon discovered she was a woman, she was discharged from the Army.

Fort_Davis_Expert · Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 27

On Cathy Williams
She may have served as a buffalo soldier--at least she claimed she did.
Almost 30 years after her claimed service she applied for a government pension based on that service.
Her claim was denied--because she failed to show that her illnesses and disability were the result of military service.
She left the army in 1868 with a medical discharge because she was found no longer fit to be a soldier--not because it was learned that she was female.

Some who have looked into her story are satisfied that she indeed was a buffalo soldier.
Others accept only the possibility that she may have served but are not satisfied there are enough known facts to prove this point.