Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 June 1884 — Moll Davis of the Dragoons. [ARTICLE]

Moll Davis of the Dragoons.

She joined the Second Scots Grays, then Lord Hay’s Dragoons, and in 1695 was present at the siege of Namur. After the peace of Ryswick the regiment was reduced, and she received her discharge. Making her way to Dublin she found that none of her friends recognized her, and, being unable to support, did not claim her children or make herself known. On the rebreaking out of the war she re-enlisted in her old dragoon corps and fought at Nimequen, at the siege bf Venloo, and at Liege, In the second attack at Schellenberg she was shot in the hip, but the ball was never extracted. While she was in the hospital her sex was more than once in great danger of discovery. After the battle of Blenheim, being appointed guard over some prisoners, for the first lame since her departure from Dublin she saw her husbandmaking love to a Dutchwoman! She found he was serving in Orkney’s Regiment and made herself known to him, reproaching him with faithlessness, but freely forgiving him and telling his comrades that she was his brother. On the termination of the war she gave him a piece of gold, and, declining to resume her character as a woman and a wife, hade him adieu. An odd incident in her career was being compelled to pay for the support of an infant of which she was pronounced the father! In Holland more than one girl fell in love with “the pretty dragoon,” as her comrades called her. At last, at tha battle of Ramillies, and just at its close, her skull being fractured by a ball, her sex was discovered. She was trepanned, and in ten weeks had recovered, but she was not allowed to resume her male costume. Lord John Hay promised that she would never want. Brigadier Preston bought her a handsome silk gown. She' was induced to receive her husband back, the ceremony was re-enacted, and all the officers of her regiment were present at a very merry, frolicsome wedding-feast, every man present laughingly giving a kiss to the martial bride, and the practice of “throwing the stocking” was not omitted.— London Society.