Ladies Auxiliary

During the American Revolution thousands of women took an active role in both the American and British armies. Most were the wives or daughters of officers or soldiers. These women, who maintained an almost constant presence in military camps, were known as "camp followers." At Stony Point Battlefield, for example, there were 52 women who were captured with the British garrison on the night of July 15, 1779 by the American Corps of Light Infantry. Despite the fact that these women were not considered to be part of the army, they were still included in the list of British prisoners taken at Stony Point. Yet, because women had no military function during the war, their individual names most often were unlisted in the records of the day and are lost to us now. To be sure, women in the revolution went well beyond their traditional roles as dictated by 18th-century society.

Membership Requirements

Membership in the Ladies Auxiliary of the Massachusetts Society is open to wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, nieces and other women relatives of members of the Massachusetts Society who either are in good standing or were in good standing at the time of their death.

Objectives

The Ladies' Auxiliary of the Massachusetts Society, like the Massachusetts Society itself, is a patriotic, historical, and educational body to perpetuate the memory of the men and women who, by their services or sacrifices during the war of the American Revolution, achieved the independence of the American people. The auxiliary:

• Supports the activities of the society.
• Participates in projects for the society.
• Educates the public about the society.
• Aids the society at its conferences and meetings.
• Enhances the social environment of the society.
• Helps to raise funds for the society.
• Furthers the cooperation between the society and other patriotic societies.
• Provides the wives, widows, and other female relations of the members with ways to support the society.

Officers of the Auxiliary

The following members serve as officers of the Lady's Auxiliary for 2009-2010.

Note: Painting of Abigail Adams by Benjamin Blythe, 1766.