Maria Lewis (soldier) facts for kids

Maria Lewis, also known as George Harris, was a brave Union Civil War soldier. She was a former slave who became famous in the Eighth New York Cavalry.

Maria Lewis's Amazing Story

Early Life and Escape

Maria Lewis was born around 1846 in Albemarle County, Virginia. She and her family were held as slaves there. When she was about seventeen, Maria decided to escape slavery. She did this by pretending to be a "darkly tanned" white man. She joined Company C of the 8th New York Cavalry.

Maria took the name George Harris. This name came from a character in a famous book called Uncle Tom's Cabin. In the book, George Harris also escaped by pretending to be a Spanish man. Maria first planned to use her new identity to travel North. But she found she really enjoyed the freedom of living as a white man. So, she decided to stay with the army.

Serving in the Civil War

Maria Lewis stayed with General Philip Sheridan's cavalry unit. They were in the Shenandoah Valley for about eighteen more months. During her time in the army, she fought in the Battle of Waynesboro. This battle happened on March 2nd.

Maria showed great courage and skill. She stood out among her fellow soldiers. Because of her bravery, she became part of a special honor guard. This group was chosen to present seventeen captured rebel flags to the Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton.

Life After the War

While serving, Maria became friends with the Wilburs, an abolitionist family from New York. Abolitionists were people who wanted to end slavery. After her time in the army, Maria went to live with the Wilburs. She then told them that she was actually a woman.

The family gave her skirts and helped her find a job. Julia Wilbur's sister, Frances, also gave Maria "lessons." This likely meant she learned to read and write. Before the Civil War, enslaved people were not allowed to learn these skills. We don't know much about Maria's life after this time.