Félicité Fernig (1770–1841) and Théophile Fernig (1775–1819), known as the Sœurs Fernig (Fernig sisters), were two sisters who dressed as men and enlisted in the

French Revolutionary Army The French Revolutionary Army () was the French land force that fought the French Revolutionary Wars from 1792 to 1802. In the beginning, the French armies were characterised by their revolutionary fervour, their poor equipment and their great nu ...

during the

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars () were a series of sweeping military conflicts resulting from the French Revolution that lasted from 1792 until 1802. They pitted French First Republic, France against Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain, Habsb ...

. They were allowed to remain in service after their sex was discovered and became celebrities who were frequently mentioned in the contemporary French press.

Biographies

Félicité and Théophile were born to Marie Adrienne Bassez and Sergeant François Louis Joseph Fernig, who served in the cavalry and educated his daughters in the use of weapons. When the Austrians invaded France in 1792, the sisters dressed as men, enlisted in the army, and were admired for their courage. When their sex were discovered, they were allowed to remain in service, which happened in at least some cases during this period. They participated in the Battles of Valmy, Jemappes,

Anderlecht Anderlecht (; ) is one of the List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the south-western part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, Forest, B ...

, and

Neerwinden Neerwinden () is a village in Belgium, located in the Municipalities of Belgium, municipality of Landen, in the province of Flemish Brabant, Flanders. The village gives its name to two great historical battles. The first, the Battle of Neerwind ...

. The sisters were appointed aides-de-camp under General

Charles François Dumouriez Charles-François du Périer Dumouriez (; 26 January 1739 – 14 March 1823) was a French military officer, French minister of foreign affairs, minister of Foreign Affairs, French minister of Defense, minister of War in a Constitutional Cabin ...

. However, after Dumouriez's defection to Austria in 1793, the sisters were sentenced to exile despite their pleas that they had taken no part in his betrayal. Their exile was retracted in 1802 and they settled in Brussels, where Félicité married Captain François Joseph Herman Van der Wallen.

References

* * {{authority control Female wartime cross-dressers French military personnel of the Napoleonic Wars French military personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars Women in 18th-century warfare Women in war in France French female military personnel