Abner Weston's Daybook

Abner Weston, a corporal in the Massachusetts militia, kept this pocket diary in 1782 as a record of his wartime experiences between campaigns. The most noteworthy entry is his Jan. 23, 1782, description of fellow Middleborough resident Deborah Sampson’s first documented attempt to join the Continental Army. His entry described an “uncommon affair,” in which Deborah Sampson dressed in men’s clothes and attempted to enlist in the army, only to be discovered and fined. Weston’s reference to Sampson includes little judgement of her actions. This document is the earliest surviving account of her first attempted enlistment. Determined to be a soldier, Sampson enlisted a second time in a neighboring town where few people knew her. That time she succeeded. 

Artifact Details

• Diary
  Written by Abner Weston
  Middleborough, Massachusetts
  1782
  Ink on Paper
  Museum of the American Revolution, 2018.15.01