Black History Month Cathay Williams

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This lady has my heart. She sounds like who I was when I served in the military. When I was told no by the military that was definately not in my vocabulary! This little lady was born into slavery in 1842 in Independence, Missouri. Since I am from Missouri myself, I was eager to learn about this great lady. She lived on the Johnson plantation to serve as a house servant. In 1861 when the Union fought in Jefferson City, Missouri they grabbed slaves and made them contraband. They then worked as cooks, nurses, or laundry. At age 17 she was impressed to serve in the 8th Indiana Volunteer Infantry under Col.Benton. For several years she stayed in the 8th Infantry traveling through various states. Later she was transferred to Washington D.C. and served under General Sheridan. When the war ended she was then working at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis, Missouri. She had much interest in the Army.But there was much prohibition against women to join the military. On November 15, 1866 she entered the Military as a man using the name William Cathay. Only 2 other people were known of her being female and they were a cousin and friend both serving with her in the same regiment. After her enlistment she came down with small pox. She was hospitalized. By the time she got out her regiment was already in New Mexico and she rejoined them. Between the strain of being a woman and having small pox she was frequently sick and had to be hospitalized and the post surgeon found out she was a woman and reported her to the commander. she was discharged under Captain Clarke on October 14th 1868. While she went on to work as a cook and various other jobs, she married and he was so mean he took off with her team of horses and money. She had him arrested. Through the years she finally heard of 2 other females that had served in the military as men and had recieved pensions for service in the military. When she went to find out about her pension, a reporter in St Louis heard of her and publicized her story. She had served with the Buffalo Soldiers. Meeting with the medical doctor from the Pension Bureau in 1891 for her physical for her pension, she had no one to aid in proving her story. While she had neuralgia, diabetes, had lost all her toes and walked with a crutch, the doctor decided she did not qualify for disability pension. Her application was rejected. Cathay Williams died sometime in 1892 it is assumed. Her grave has never been found as it is assumed she only had a wooden marker that would not have stood the weathered time.