Cathay Williams

To begin, Cathay Williams was born into unfortunate circumstances before and during the civil war, but she persisted at the thought of a better life. She was born in a time period where she was expected to work solely for the way she was born “Williams was born in Independence, Missouri to a free man and a woman in slavery, making her legal status also that of a slave ... In 1861 Union forces occupied Jefferson City in the early stages of the American Civil War. At that time, captured slaves were officially designated by the Union as ‘contraband,’ and many were forced to serve in military support roles such as cooks, laundresses, or nurses” (National). Cathay Williams' early life and the time period she was born in greatly affected her life. Being born a woman and an African-American slave, her life was set up as a not so prosperous one. She was considered contraband, and forced to work for the American army in typically female jobs despite not being acclimated to working them. After Williams was taken by the military, she was forced to cook for the troops. An addition from the St. Louis Daily Times shows her opinion on this: “My master died there and when the war broke out and the United States soldiers came to Jefferson City they took me and other colored folks with them to Little Rock. Col. Benton of the 13th army corps was the officer that carried us off. I did not want to go. He wanted me to cook for the officers, but I had always been a house girl and did not know how to cook. I learned to cook after going to Little Rock and was with the army at the Battle of Pea Ridge” (“Female”). For being born into a life she couldn’t control, she had to learn to provide for those in power when she didn’t know how.

Additionally, Cathay Williams joined and succeeded in the army despite her not physically being allowed to do so. Part of the reason she did this was because of her desire for independence and to not rely on anyone: “‘The regiment I joined wore the Zouave uniform and only two persons, a cousin and a particular friend, members of the regiment, knew that I was a woman,’ Williams said, according to Army archives. ‘They were partly the cause of my joining the Army. Another reason was I wanted to make my own living and not be dependent on relations or friends’” (“WOMEN”). Having such a goal and strong mindset of independence, she joined the army despite the danger it entailed, especially with her true identity. Cathay Williams was skilled at being able to keep her secret. She managed to find people who not only convinced her to join in the first place, but also to keep her secret. 

She was strong, however, in the time she served in the army, she was often prone to illness: “Although Cathay may have appeared healthy, the 5-foot-7 soldier often fell ill, … The young private logged several visits to the infirmary and several hospital stays, yet her secret remained undetected, which speaks volumes about the medical care (seemingly superficial) provided to the black soldiers at the time” (Grant). Cathay Williams went undetected in the military for a long time. Despite the fact that there were plenty of opportunities for her to be discovered because of her numerous times in the infirmary, she managed to continue to lie to officials. That means that the medical care supplied to the Buffalo soldiers was not very good. Cathay Williams did not get the same kind of care that would have been supplied to a white soldier at the time. The discrimination that was present in the army at this time probably helped Cathay keep her secret for as long as she did. However, Williams was unable to keep up her lie forever, and she was eventually found out. She had served alongside men as a woman, undiscovered, until a particular illness and subsequent trip to the infirmary in which doctors discovered her. They discharged her immediately ("WOMEN”). She was eventually found out when a military hospital discovered she was a woman. She lasted a long time without being found out, but due to her sex, she was taken out of the army. This also shows that the men in the army cared much more about the fact that she was a woman over her success as a private in the military. She served and succeeded in the army for as long as she was able to despite the risks and discrimination.

 Her continuous fight against discrimination prevailed even in critical conditions. She had many handicaps and difficulties, but the doctor still denied her a disability pension. This is an example of discrimination towards her, leading to her death. Even after her death, Williams’ legacy and fighting spirit lives on through Linda Kirkpatrick’s cowboy poem about Cathay Williams: “A salute to Cathay Williams/ The hero of this rhyme/ A special woman of the west/ A legend in her time” (“Female”). The legacy that Cathay Williams left behind for others showed how influential she was. She was able to shake up the Buffalo soldiers during her two year enlistment, and she was influential enough to have people know her story today whether it be by history books, poems, or plays. She made her name known when others were forgotten. Her determination and fighting personality are obvious through her continuous pride and legacy.

     Though she faced many obstacles, whether it be sickness or discrimination, she did as she pleased. Being both African-American and a woman in her time-period, her troubles were even more difficult yet were still ignored by others. Cathay Williams independently made it to be the world’s first African-American woman in the U.S. Army and only woman Buffalo soldier, a mighty feat to be remembered forever. 

Works Cited