There, possibly due to the effects of smallpox, the heat, or the years of marching, her body began to show signs of strain. Williams rejoined her unit in New Mexico. Shortly after her enlistment, she contracted smallpox and was hospitalized. Though this exam should have outed her as a woman, the Army did not require full medical exams at this time. Infantry Regiment after she passed the cursory medical examination.

She enlisted for a three-year engagement, passing herself off as a man. Regular Army under the false name of 'William Cathay' on November 15, 1866. Williams served under the service of General Philip Sheridan and witnessed the Red River Campaign and the Battle of Pea Ridge.ĭespite the prohibition against women serving in the military, Williams enlisted in the U.S. In this role she accompanied the infantry all over the country. Before her voluntary enlistment, at just 17 years old, Williams served as an Army cook and a washerwoman. At this time, captured slaves were officially designated as contraband and some served in military support roles such as cooks, laundresses, or nurses. In 1861, Union forces occupied Jefferson City during the early stages of the Civil War. During her adolescence, she worked as a house slave on the Johnson plantation on the outskirts of Jefferson City, Missouri. Cathay Williams was born to an enslaved mother and a free father in Independence, Missouri in 1844.

Enlisted dl