Transcription:

​

A Colored Fille du Regiment.

​

The Providence Journal relates that last May, while the 12th Rhode Island regiment was at Lancaster, Ky., a chubby young Anglo-African, asnwering to the name of "Tommy," came into camp, desiring to en-ter the service of one of Uncle Sam's offi-cers, a nd was taken by one of the captains of the 12th as a body servant. In that ca-pacity "Tommy" accompanied the regi-ment in its marches, and on its return to Providence, winning many pleasant words for good behavior. When the regiment was dismissed "Tommy" went to live with the Lieutenant. There the refinements were to much for "Tommy," and the cap-tains body servant proved to be a veritable daughter of the regiment, a girl of less than twenty summers, who had been able to conceal her sex in the huise of a boy that the captain, at whose feet she had slept, had no suspicion that he was harbor-ing a sable "woman and sister," determin-ed on achieving liberty at even the expense of a temporary renounciation of red band-annss and calico. The officers no reccol-lect that "Tommy" wouldn't ride horse-back, and declined the most tempting prop-osition to go a swimming. She has been properly provided for.

​

From the Cleveland Morning Leader, Sep. 11, 1863. Courtesy of the Digital Transgender Archive.