Anna Maria Lane was a Revolutionary war soldier whose service and sacrifice are honored by a historical marker installed on Ninth Street in Richmond just outside Capitol Square. Ms. Lane “lied” to become a soldier and serve her country in its fight for independence. She dressed up as a man so she could enlist since women were not allowed to serve in the military then. In 1806, the General Assembly approved a pension for her on the recommendation of then Governor Cabell. The Governor described her as disabled by a war injury she received at the battle of Germantown. Would today’s General Assembly rather than celebrating her courage and service have denied her the pension on the grounds that she “cross-dressed” and defrauded the military by falsely pretending to be a man when she served?
