Dressed in men's clothing, on May 20, 1782, Deborah Sampson became the first American woman to impersonate a man and join the American army serving as a soldier. Under the name of Robert Shurtliff, she had enlisted for three years of service in the 4th Massachusetts Regiment, In the military, Deborah was able to keep her identity a secret. Deborah participated in her soldier responsibilities, such as marching and drilling each day. Never once did anyone hear Deborah complain.
During the summer of 1782, Sampson became wounded. She was taken to a hospital and treated for head wounds. Deborah was very fearful of having her identity discovered, thus she didn't tell her doctor about the bullet lodged in her leg. While in the hospital, she was able to get the bullet out of her leg by herself. Rather than confess her hidden injury, she returned to active duty immediately without allowing ample time for the leg wound to heal. Deborah's leg never healed correctly and was a problem for the remainder of her life.
During the summer of 1782, Sampson became wounded. She was taken to a hospital and treated for head wounds. Deborah was very fearful of having her identity discovered, thus she didn't tell her doctor about the bullet lodged in her leg. While in the hospital, she was able to get the bullet out of her leg by herself. Rather than confess her hidden injury, she returned to active duty immediately without allowing ample time for the leg wound to heal. Deborah's leg never healed correctly and was a problem for the remainder of her life.