| Cathay Williams In a tiny shotgun cabin Martha’s baby girl was born. A baby born to slavery That no one could forewarn. Cathay Williams was determined And never was deterred As she began her life as a house girl Being seen but never heard. Then the Civil War broke out And the Union soldiers came And taking Cathay with them Her life would never be the same. Cathay learned the ways of military life And became an accomplished cook. She was sent to General Sheridan A job she proudly undertook. Then the Civil War was ended And Cathay was finally free And in seeking out her freedom, She found her place in history. Her own way she needed to make And a burden to no one be So as a Buffalo Soldier she joined up In the 38th U. S. Infantry. Cathay Williams became William Cathay And no one was to know The secret of her identity As a soldier she did grow. The troops moved west to Ft. Cummings To keep the Apache at bay. There were one hundred and one enlisted men And among them was William Cathay. After two years as a soldier In the 38th Company A William went to see the doctor And her secret came out that day Discharged as a Buffalo Soldier Cathay did her very best As she continued to make her way In this land they called the West. Because of her illegal enlistment Her pension passed her by But she picked herself up and moved on And never questioned why. Life ended for Cathay Williams At the age of eighty-two She lived a long independent life A life that was tried but true. A salute to Cathay Williams The hero of this rhyme A special woman of the west A legend in her time. © July 1999, Linda Kirkpatrick This poem may not be reprinted or reposted without the author's written permission. |
"Cathay Williams Story"
Source: St. Louis Daily Times, January 2, 1876
"My Father a was a freeman, but my mother a slave, belonging to William Johnson, a wealthy
farmer who lived at the time I was born near Independence, Jackson county, Missouri. While I
was a small girl my master and family moved to Jefferson City. My master died there and
when the war broke out and the United States soldiers came to Jefferson City they took me
and other colored folks with them to Little Rock. Col. Benton of the 13th army corps was the
officer that carried us off. I did not want to go. He wanted me to cook for the officers, but I had
always been a house girl and did not know how to cook. I learned to cook after going to Little
Rock and was with the army at The Battle of Pea Ridge. Afterwards the command moved over
various portions of Arkansas and Louisiana. I saw the soldiers burn lots of cotton and was at
Shreveport when the rebel gunboats were captured and burned on Red River. We afterwards
went to New Orleans, then by way of the Gulf to Savannah Georgia, then to Macon and other
places in the South. Finally I was sent to Washington City and at the time Gen. Sheridan made
his raids in the Shenandoah valley I was cook and washwoman for his staff I was sent from
Virginia to some place in Iowa and afterwards to Jefferson Barracks, where I remained some
time. You will see by this paper that on the 15th day of November 1866 I enlisted in the United
States army at St. Louis, in the Thirty-eighth United States Infantry Company A, Capt. Charles
E. Clarke commanding.
Captain Charles E. Clarke in the Civil War 6th Infantry at the Battle of Baton Rouge.
"The regiment I joined wore the Zouave uniform and only two persons, a cousin and a
particular friend, members of the regiment, knew that I was a woman. They never 'blowed' on
me. They were partly the cause of my joining the army. Another reason was I wanted to make
my own living and not be dependent on relations or friends. Soon after I joined the army, I
was taken with the small-pox and was sick at a hospital across the river from St. Louis, but as
soon as I got well I joined my company in New Mexico. I was as that paper says, I was never
put in the guard house, no bayonet was ever put to my back. I carried my musket and did
guard and other duties while in the army, but finally I got tired and wanted to get off. I played
sick, complained of pains in my side, and rheumatism in my knees. The post surgeon found
out I was a woman and I got my discharge. The men all wanted to get rid of me after they
found out I was a woman. Some of them acted real bad to me. After leaving the army I went to
Pueblo, Colorado, where I made money by cooking and washing. I got married while there,
but my husband was no account. He stole my watch and chain, a hundred dollars in money
and my team of horses and wagon. I had him arrested and put in jail, and then I came here. I
like this town. I know all the good people here, and I expect to get rich yet. I have not got my
land warrant. I thought I would wait till the railroad came and then take my land near the
depot. Grant owns all this land around here, and it won't cost me anything. I shall never live
in the states again. You see I've got a good sewing machine and I get washing to do and
clothes to make. I want to get along and not be a burden to my friends or relatives."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exerpt from the article "Cathay Williams Female Buffalo Soldier"
by Mary Williams, Fort Davis NHS
After the war, Cathay enlisted in the 38th U.S. Infantry, one of the newly formed regiments
that consisted of troops of African-American descent. At the time of her enlistment on
November 15, 1866, Cathay was 22 years old and was 5'9" tall. At the time medical
examinations were not required of those who enlisted into the army. Cathay remained in the
army until October 14, 1868. After leaving the army, Cathay worked as a cook for an officer at
Fort Union, New Mexico Territory. From Fort Union, she went to Pueblo, Colorado. She stayed
there for two years and worked in a laundry for a Mr. Dunbar. From Pueblo, Cathay moved to
Las Animas and lived there about a year again working as a launderess. In 1891, she was
living in Trinidad, Colorado.
Cathay Williams was not the only woman to join the army before 1948 - the year that women
were allowed for the first time to officially enlist in the peacetime army. Many a romantic girl
dreamed of being a second Joan of Arc - a heroine - a savior. For example, it has been
estimated that approximately 400 women posed as soldiers during the Civil War. Many of
these women enlisted with their husbands, brothers, and fiancés and most were not found out
unless they required hospital treatment.
There is no record of how many women enlisted in the army during the Indian Wars. In all
likelihood there were other "Cathay Williams' and like Cathay Williams they served their
country.
Source: St. Louis Daily Times, January 2, 1876
"My Father a was a freeman, but my mother a slave, belonging to William Johnson, a wealthy
farmer who lived at the time I was born near Independence, Jackson county, Missouri. While I
was a small girl my master and family moved to Jefferson City. My master died there and
when the war broke out and the United States soldiers came to Jefferson City they took me
and other colored folks with them to Little Rock. Col. Benton of the 13th army corps was the
officer that carried us off. I did not want to go. He wanted me to cook for the officers, but I had
always been a house girl and did not know how to cook. I learned to cook after going to Little
Rock and was with the army at The Battle of Pea Ridge. Afterwards the command moved over
various portions of Arkansas and Louisiana. I saw the soldiers burn lots of cotton and was at
Shreveport when the rebel gunboats were captured and burned on Red River. We afterwards
went to New Orleans, then by way of the Gulf to Savannah Georgia, then to Macon and other
places in the South. Finally I was sent to Washington City and at the time Gen. Sheridan made
his raids in the Shenandoah valley I was cook and washwoman for his staff I was sent from
Virginia to some place in Iowa and afterwards to Jefferson Barracks, where I remained some
time. You will see by this paper that on the 15th day of November 1866 I enlisted in the United
States army at St. Louis, in the Thirty-eighth United States Infantry Company A, Capt. Charles
E. Clarke commanding.
Captain Charles E. Clarke in the Civil War 6th Infantry at the Battle of Baton Rouge.
"The regiment I joined wore the Zouave uniform and only two persons, a cousin and a
particular friend, members of the regiment, knew that I was a woman. They never 'blowed' on
me. They were partly the cause of my joining the army. Another reason was I wanted to make
my own living and not be dependent on relations or friends. Soon after I joined the army, I
was taken with the small-pox and was sick at a hospital across the river from St. Louis, but as
soon as I got well I joined my company in New Mexico. I was as that paper says, I was never
put in the guard house, no bayonet was ever put to my back. I carried my musket and did
guard and other duties while in the army, but finally I got tired and wanted to get off. I played
sick, complained of pains in my side, and rheumatism in my knees. The post surgeon found
out I was a woman and I got my discharge. The men all wanted to get rid of me after they
found out I was a woman. Some of them acted real bad to me. After leaving the army I went to
Pueblo, Colorado, where I made money by cooking and washing. I got married while there,
but my husband was no account. He stole my watch and chain, a hundred dollars in money
and my team of horses and wagon. I had him arrested and put in jail, and then I came here. I
like this town. I know all the good people here, and I expect to get rich yet. I have not got my
land warrant. I thought I would wait till the railroad came and then take my land near the
depot. Grant owns all this land around here, and it won't cost me anything. I shall never live
in the states again. You see I've got a good sewing machine and I get washing to do and
clothes to make. I want to get along and not be a burden to my friends or relatives."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exerpt from the article "Cathay Williams Female Buffalo Soldier"
by Mary Williams, Fort Davis NHS
After the war, Cathay enlisted in the 38th U.S. Infantry, one of the newly formed regiments
that consisted of troops of African-American descent. At the time of her enlistment on
November 15, 1866, Cathay was 22 years old and was 5'9" tall. At the time medical
examinations were not required of those who enlisted into the army. Cathay remained in the
army until October 14, 1868. After leaving the army, Cathay worked as a cook for an officer at
Fort Union, New Mexico Territory. From Fort Union, she went to Pueblo, Colorado. She stayed
there for two years and worked in a laundry for a Mr. Dunbar. From Pueblo, Cathay moved to
Las Animas and lived there about a year again working as a launderess. In 1891, she was
living in Trinidad, Colorado.
Cathay Williams was not the only woman to join the army before 1948 - the year that women
were allowed for the first time to officially enlist in the peacetime army. Many a romantic girl
dreamed of being a second Joan of Arc - a heroine - a savior. For example, it has been
estimated that approximately 400 women posed as soldiers during the Civil War. Many of
these women enlisted with their husbands, brothers, and fiancés and most were not found out
unless they required hospital treatment.
There is no record of how many women enlisted in the army during the Indian Wars. In all
likelihood there were other "Cathay Williams' and like Cathay Williams they served their
country.
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