African American History in New Mexico: Portraits from Five Hundred Years

6: Cathay Williams: Black Woman Soldier, 1866–1868

89 6 Cathay Williams Black Woman Soldier, 1866–1868 deanne blanton • • • On November 15, 1866, Cathay Williams became a soldier. She enlisted with the U.S. Regular Army in St. Louis, Missouri, intending on a three-year tour of duty. She had never been in the army before. She informed the recruiting officer that she was twenty-two years old and by occupation a cook. She named Independence, Missouri, as the place of her birth. When asked her name, she must have replied William Cathay. As she was illiterate, her papers read William Cathey and by that name and spelling she would be known the rest of her army career. The recruiting officer described William Cathey that day as five feet nine inches, with black eyes, black hair, and black complexion. An army surgeon examined William Cathey upon enlistment and determined that the recruit was fit for duty. We can assume the exam was cursory, only checking for obvious and superficial impairments or abnormalities. If either the surgeon or the recruiting officer realized that William Cathey was female, they kept the fact to themselves. It seems highly unlikely they knew the truth, because nineteenthcentury U.S. Army regulations forbade the regular enlistment or commissioning of women. Other than the place of her birth, nothing is known of this woman prior to her enlistment in the U.S. Army. Information about her family life and circumstances prior to enlistment, including whether she was born slave or free, has not been found.1 Even her age at the time 90 deanne blanton of enlistment is uncertain. She might have been only sixteen years old and lied about her age, a not uncommon ploy among her male counterparts . The army in the nineteenth century hardly ever checked the veracity of age claims or asked for proof of identity. Her reasons for becoming a soldier are a matter of conjecture, as she never stated them. Was she fleeing an unhappy life with family or other relations? Was she an orphan? She might have had compelling reasons to change her identity, such as running from something or someone. Perhaps she viewed the army as a way to get out of Missouri or get away from home. Maybe she found cooking for a living unsatisfactory . Or did she simply want the adventure of being a soldier? It seems reasonable that she viewed the army as a job open to African Americans, with prospects for a decent livelihood and a semblance of respect. We can presume Cathay Williams had no substantial means of support other than herself. (There is no evidence she ever married.) She was uneducated and therefore consigned to laboring for her wages. As a black woman in 1866, her prospects were dim and low-paying. As a black man in the army she would earn more money than as a black female cook. Whatever her motivations in joining the army, she may not have realized she was setting a precedent. While she was not the first woman to enlist in the army—women disguised as men fought in the volunteer armies of the Revolution and the Civil War—Cathay Williams may be the first to have served in the U.S. Regular Army in the nineteenth century. To date, she is the only documented African American woman who served in the U.S. Army prior to the official introduction of women. Very little is known about the details of William Cathey’s service because personnel records were not kept for regular army enlisted soldiers during the nineteenth century. The unit muster rolls, compiled every two months, rated the company as a whole, listed its members, and occasionally included comments regarding individual soldiers. The muster rolls reveal that William Cathey did not have an illustrious or even an exciting army career. She was an average soldier. She neither distinguished herself nor disgraced her uniform while in the service. She was never singled out for praise or punishment. The opinions held of William Cathey by peers and officers is unknown. Whether she was congenial or aloof, outspoken or retiring is a mystery. Cathay Williams 91 Furthermore, the records cannot tell us if she faced difficulties concealing the fact that she was female. It may have been easy for her. She was one of the tallest privates in her company, and she probably never experienced close physical scrutiny during her service, despite hospital visits. The...