Deb Sampson: An American Cross-Dressing Hero Multi-cache
Deb Sampson: An American Cross-Dressing Hero
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A 4 stage (1 virtual, 3 physical) multi-cache that will take you on a short hike along the Massapoag Trail in Sharon, MA, home of Deborah Sampson. The posted coordinates are for the entrance to the Rock Ridge Cemetery where Deb Sampson is buried. You must find her headstone and answer some questions in order to find the coordinates for the next stage. As the stages progress, you will be looking for progressively larger containers. Total distance round trip shouldn't be more than 1-2 miles.
Deborah Sampson Gannett
Deborah Sampson was born in Plympton, MA in 1760 and was the oldest of 6 children. Her family was poor and when their father abandoned them, Sampson was forced to become an indentured servent. After turning 18 and leaving indentured servitude, she became a school teacher.
in 1778 Sampson felt the need to go on adventures and decided to enlist in the Continental Army. At the time, women were not allowed to enlist so she disguised herself as a man. She feared being recognized and wasn't able to successfully enlist until 1782. She was chosen for the Light Infantry Company of the 4th Massachusetts Regiment.
Deb Sampson fought in many skirmishes but was wounded in battle on July 3, 1782. She received two musket balls to her thigh and had a large cut on her forehead. She begged her fellow soliders to let her die on the battle field and not take her to a hospital, but they wouldn't abandon her. The doctors treated her headwound, but she left before they could remove the musket balls, fearful her true identity would be discovered. She removed one of the musket balls herself with a pen knife, but the other ball was too deep. Her leg never fully healed.
She was later promoted and served as a waiter to General John Paterson. During the summer of 1783, Sampson came down with malignant fever and was cared for by doctor Barnabas Binney. He discovered the cloth she used to wrap her body, thus discovering her secret, but he did not reveal her identity. On October 25, 1783, Deborah Sampson was honorably discharged from the Army at West Point after one and a half years of service.
You can read much more about Deb Sampson's life, her time in the army, and her public life after leaving the army in the following:
Wikipedia
The Secret Soldier: The Story of Deborah Sampson
Masquerade: The Life and Times of Deborah Sampson, Continental Soldier
Statue of Deb Sampson outside the Sharon Public Library.
The Cache
At the posted coordinates, you will be at the entrance of Rock Ridge Cemetery. If you drive, you can park in the cemetery and proceed from here. If you choose to relocate your car, I've included additional parking spots not far that are free year round.
From the posted coordinates, you can read a sign dedicated to Deb Sampson and see a memorial placed by her grandson up the hill to your left. You must first find the location of Deb Sampson's headstone. It is in an older part of the cemetery so look for older graves. From this location, answer the following questions in order to find the location of the next stage, N 42 AB.CDE W 071 FG.HIJ
AB) Patience was Deb's youngest daughter. She married and took the name of her husband. How many letters are in her last name? This number equals "AB"
C) Mary, another of Deb's daughters, was born in 178X, The last digit equals "C"
D) Behind Deb's headstone is a plaque with two years on it. Subtract one from the other to get a positive number,"D"
E) Deb's son, Earl, died on the ninth day of what month? "E"
FG) Inscribed on the back of Deb's headstone is another commemoration. How many times does the letter "e" appear on this side of the headstone? (careful, "e" and "f" look alike) "FG"
H) Deb is buried alongside her husband and children. How many children did Deb have? "H"
I) On the family headstones in this row, how many have the exact date of birth?(i.e the month day and year of birth) "I"
J) What is the total number of headstones in the row (Including Deb)? "J"
Confirm your coordinates for stage 2 here:
You can validate your puzzle solution with
certitude.
The stages of the cache are located along the Massapoag trail which runs parallel to Deborah Sampson St. The house that Deb Sampson and her family lived in is also listed as a point of interest, there is no need to visit the house. Also, while it is a historical building, please respect the privacy of the current residents. Good luck!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
fgntr 2: na vfynaq
fgntr 3: va gur jnyy, ab fgbarf arrq gb or zbirq
fgntr 4: n gerr