PATRICK K O’DONNELL: The untold story of America’s female Revolutionary sniper

Jemima Warner accompanied her husband, James, on the Continental Army’s 1775 expedition through the Maine wilderness towards Quebec. When starvation and exhaustion left him unable to continue, she gave him her remaining bread and water, took his rifle and marched on alone, illustrating the overlooked roles women played in the Revolutionary War.

James served in the 1st Pennsylvania Rifle Regiment, a unit valued for its marksmen’s scouting and wilderness skills. The article describes camp followers as both criticised by some officers and relied upon for practical support, including laundry, cooking, nursing and, at times, spying. It says the 350-mile march was marked by severe privation and that Jemima’s full story is recounted in the author’s new book.