Sarah A. Bowman
Sarah A. Bowman (c. 1813 – December 22, 1866), also known as
Sarah Borginnis or
Sarah Bourdette, was an
Irish American innkeeper,
restaurateur, and
madam. Nicknamed "The Great Western", she gained fame, and the title "Heroine of Fort Brown", as a
camp follower of
Zachary Taylor's army during the
Mexican–American War. Following the war she operated an inn in
Franklin, Texas (now El Paso) before settling near
Arizona City (now Yuma, Arizona). Over the course of her life she was married multiple times, often without legal record or the blessing of a priest, and was known at various times by the names Boginnis, Bourdette, Bourget, Bourjette, Borginnis, Davis, Bowman, and possibly Foyle. Following her death she was
breveted an honorary
colonel and buried with
military honors in the Fort Yuma cemetery. Her story became part of American
popular culture.
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