In 1782, Deborah Sampson disguised herself as a man and enlisted in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. She was considered very tall and was easily mistaken for a man. Other soldiers even teased her for never having to shave. They assumed she was too young to have facial hair.

Sampson was wounded in a battle near Tarrytown, New York. She was afraid of being discovered, so she tended to her own wounds but her leg never healed properly. She was finally hospitalized and a doctor discovered she was a woman. The doctor kept her secret and finally but eventually the commanding general. Instead of being punished, she received an honorable discharge from the Army by General Henry Knox. She was discharged from the Army at West Point on October 25, 1783.

If you want to learn more about women of the American Revolution, I recommend the book Women Heroes of the American Revolution: 20 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Defiance, and Rescue (Women of Action).