Georgiana Peterman, drummer boy, 1865

“A Female Soldier.” Chicago Tribune [Chicago, Illinois] 14 February 1865; p. 5.

A young woman dressed in soldier’s uniform on Sunday applied to the Armory for shelter until morning, stating that her coat, money, and discharge papers had been left at the Soldiers’ Rest. There was something in the appearance of the young soldier which led the station keeper to suspect that crinoline was the proper habit for her to wear. He asked as to her sex, and though at first denying it she finally confessed that she was a female. She states that her name is Georgiana Peterman, her residence Ellenborough, Wisconsin, and that she has been for two years a soldier in the 7th Wisconsin infantry, Co. E., and is nineteen years of age. She will be sent to her parents at Ellenborough.

“Arrival Extraordinary.” Grant County Witness [Platteville, Wisconsin] 16 February 1865; p. 3.

Miss Georgiana Peterman, who has been for two years a Drummer in the 7th Wisconsin Regiment, arrived in this Village to day, [sic] on her way to her home in our neighboring town of Ellenboro, and is now stopping at the Union House.—Miss Peterman is said to be about twenty years of age, but in her soldier’s clothes has the appearance of a rather good looking boy of sixteen. She is of medium height, with dark eyes and hair, and clear brunette complexion. She is very quiet; does not care to talk much of her experiences in the “tented field,” and is evidently bent upon carrying out her disguise, and passing herself off as a Union Soldier of the masculine persuasion.

“Female Soldier.” Boscobel Broad-Axe [Boscobel, Wisconsin] 2 March 1865; p. 4.

We have noticed, in our exchanges, accounts of a certain Georgiana Peterman, of Ellenboro, Wis., who it is affirmed has served three years in the Army, as drummer boy in the 7th Wis.—Last week said young lady presented herself before the Board of Enrollment, dressed in a full suit of male attire, Uncle Sam’s clothing, wishing to again enter Uncle Sam’s service as a recruit. Examination proceeded far enough to discover her sex, when she was politely informed that, though Uncle Sam was anxious to get men, women were not wanted in the military service, and if she did not leave town immediately she would be placed under arrest. As she did not choose to take this rather strong hint she was arrested, but finally settled the matter by leaving.

“Melancholy Death.” Grant County Witness [Platteville, Wisconsin] 9 March 1865; p. 3.

We have just received from Mr. John Haney of Ellenboro, particulars of the recent melancholy death of his step-daughter, Miss Isabel Peterman. They are briefly these:

On Thursday afternoon, Feb. 16th, Mrs. Haney was taken suddenly ill, and, her husband having that morning gone to Galena, she requested her daughter, Isabel, to go to the house of Mr. Batchelor, a neighbor, who lived a quarter of a mile distant, and ask him to send for a physician. Not finding Mr. Batchelor at home, Isabel proceeded to Mr. Roddick’s a quarter of a mile farther on and, having done her errand, just before dark, she started for home, not by the traveled road, but across the fields.

Mr. Roddick went for the physician, who visited Mrs. Haney that evening, but Isabel did not make her appearance. An elder daughter being with the sick woman, no special anxiety was felt concerning the absent girl, as it was supposed she had stopped for the night at the house of Mr. Spargo, a relative, where she often visited.

Friday passed, and nearly all of Saturday, but Isabel had not returned. Saturday evening Mr. Haney came home, and much surprised at his step-daughter’s protracted absence, he resolved to go for her the next morning; but Mrs. Haney grew worse, and he could not leave her Sunday. Early on Monday morning, he went to Mr. Spargo’s. Not finding Isabel there, he became alarmed, and roused the neighbors, who immediately started out in search of the missing girl.

The search commenced Monday morning, and continued until Tuesday noon, when the unfortunate girl was found, dead in a ravine three and a half miles from home. In attempting to return home by the by-path, it is supposed that being very near sighted, she lost the track, and darkness coming on, could not find it again. And yet, she was perfectly familiar with the path between her father’s house and Mr. Roddick’s, having passed over it hundreds of times. From the distance she had gone, she must have wandered about in the cold and darkness all of Thursday night. How much the poor girl suffered, before chilled, exhausted and despairing, she sunk helplessly upon the snow, to fall into a slumber from which she might never waken, God only knows.

When found her head was resting upon her arm, and she seemed like one in a placid slumber.—She was twenty years of age, and is spoken of as a young woman of most amiable disposition, and beloved by all who knew her.

The Platteville (Wis.) Witness. Wisconsin State Register [Portage, Wisconsin] 18 March 1865; p. 1.

The Platteville (Wis.) Witness notes the return home of Miss Georgiana Peterman, who had been for two years a drummer in the 7th Wisconsin regiment. She lives in Ellenboro, is about twenty years old, wears soldiers clothes, and is quiet and reserved.—Chicago Tribune.

Miss Georgiana, we fear, is more quiet and reserved than she likes to be, being at present “in durance vile,” in Dane county jail, for committing the unpardonable offense of attempting to enlist in Hancock’s corps. as a veteran. While in Madison last week, we were applied to by a one-armed veteran, of Lodi in this county, for assistance to enable him to pay his compliments to the lady drummer, being denied that inestimable pleasure by the heartless jailor. He informed us of the cause of her detention, dwelt in glowing terms upon her splendid attainments as a drummer, declared that she was one of the most gallant soldiers he ever saw, having served two years by her side, and swore heartily that she was “a good fellow,” and that he was determined to see her, anyhow. It was out of our power to assist him, very much to our regret, but we referred him to our worthy Assemblyman, as the proper man to apply to, and the last we saw of him he was “log-rolling” the honorable gentleman most earnestly, but with what success we never learned.

The Platteville (Wis.) Witness. Grant County Witness [Platteville, Wisconsin] 30 March 1865; p. 3.

[Transcriber’s note: The Witness reprinted the entire piece from the Register, adding:]

Miss Georgiana seems bound to create a sensation, but, like

her notoriety is not of the most enviable kind. The day after her arrival in our village, she surprised her family in Ellenboro, who had heard nothing of her whereabouts for months, by alighting among them from the top of the Lancaster Stage, dressed from top to toe in a bran new suit of Uncle Sam’s regulation blue. Her mother compelled her to put on feminine attire, which she did sorely against her will. After remaining at home a few days, she slyly donned her soldier’s clo’ and quietly slipped away. Ellenboro was altogether too much out of the way, and too slow, for such a fast, adventurous, young ‘fellow.’

From Ellenboro, she went to Prairie du Chien, and, was admitted without suspicion, into the soldiers’ hospital, where she remained three days. At the end of that time, finding herself recognized by some of the soldiers, she very unceremoniously, left. Next, we hear of her in Boscobel, where she presented herself before the Board of Enrollment, but was again recognized, and advised to leave town immediately. From Boscobel, it seems, she went to Portage, and, nothing daunted, made a further attempt to enlist, which ended by her being placed in ‘durance vile’ in the County jail.

Mr. Haney of Ellenboro, Georgiana’s step-father assures us that she is only sixteen years of age, and that her wild, erratic course is a great grief to her mother[,] brother and sisters, who are very staid, respectable people. He says that the girl is perfectly uncontrol[l]able, and, that at home, they can do nothing with her.—All who have seen this military specimen of feminity, agree that she is unusually good looking. She declares that two other young girls of this county were her companions in the army; but no one believes it.