A Girl Called Samson (121)

Deborah Sampson was born December 17, 1760, not 1759, and she was indeed a descendant of William Bradford, whose accounts of the Pilgrim story have been passed down through the ages. Her heritage, on both sides of her family, began there, and it was deeply personal and important to her. She was indentured at a young age because her father, Jonathan Sampson, abandoned his family, a wife and five children. Deborah’s relationship with her mother was almost nonexistent, though the Thomas family lived in Middleborough, not far from Plympton. Reverend Sylvanus Conant helped arrange the bond of servitude, which was very common in those days. Her intelligence and abilities were a joy to him, and he did his best to shepherd her and give her what he could. His sudden death in 1777 was devastating to her.

The Thomases had many sons (some records say six not ten), though I could not find a good account of their names or military records. I know several of them were lost in the war, but could not find specific, reliable details of that service. I do believe the Thomases were like many of the families in that day. All gave some, some gave all, and I have to believe those Thomas boys made a huge impact on Deborah Sampson, both in life and in death.

Deborah’s regiment, her commanding officers, and some of the names of men who served with her are all part of the historical record. James (Jimmy) Battles, Noble Sperin, and John Beebe all died at Tarrytown and were in Deborah’s company. There is some doubt whether Deborah enlisted in April of 1781 or April of 1782. If she enlisted in 1782, she did not serve in Yorktown, though the book by Mann has her there. It hardly matters. Her service in the war was truly remarkable, and her stamina and grit even more so.

It is also true that she organized a speaking tour in 1802, the first of its kind, and traveled around sharing her adventures. She was the first woman to receive a soldier’s pension, though she had to petition Congress for decades. Paul Revere, a friend, was instrumental in her receiving it.

Deborah married a man named Benjamin Gannet a few years after the war and had three children (Earl, Mary, and Patience) and adopted another, an indentured servant girl named Susanna. I found that especially touching. It seems our heroine never forgot who she was.

Deborah’s leg troubled her for the rest of her life, though she was tireless until the end, always doing and striving. When people met her, they were often surprised by her appearance, expecting, as John states in the book, “a Samson instead of a Deborah.” I think she was both. A true pioneer and a patriot, she is buried in Sharon, Massachusetts, and a small museum in Middleborough marks her life to this day.

Deborah Sampson might be my favorite rebel of all. I hope, wherever she is, she knows how greatly her story moved me. History has not done her justice, but I sincerely hope I did.

~Amy Harmon





ACKNOWLEDGMENTS


A special thanks to my agent, Jane Dystel, who is a warrior in her own right, and to Karey White, Sunshine Kamaloni, Amanda Woodruff, Ashley Weston, and Barbara Kloss, who read Deborah’s story when I was scared and encouraged me when I was doubtful. I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me drink. Bless you all.





ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amy Harmon is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and New York Times bestselling author. Her books have been published in more than two dozen languages around the globe. Amy has written nineteen novels, including the USA Today bestseller Making Faces. Her historical novel From Sand and Ash was the Whitney Award–winning Novel of the Year in 2016. Her novel What the Wind Knows topped the Amazon charts for thirteen weeks and was on the top 100 bestsellers chart for six months. Her novel A Different Blue is a New York Times bestseller, and her USA Today bestselling fantasy The Bird and the Sword was a Goodreads Best Book of 2016 finalist. For updates on upcoming book releases, author posts, and more, join Amy at www.authoramyharmon.com.