Deborah Sampson Gannett, born on December 17, 1760, in Plympton, Massachusetts, was a remarkable figure in American history. She is best known for disguising herself as a man to serve in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Assuming the name Robert Shurtliff, she enlisted in 1782 and served for 17 months, participating in several engagements and sustaining injuries before her true identity was discovered. Following her honorable discharge in 1783, Deborah married Benjamin Gannett in 1785 and later became one of the first women to lecture publicly about her wartime experiences. She passed away on April 29, 1827, in Sharon, Massachusetts.
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