Among the Union wounded at Fredericksburg was "French Mary" Tepe, a vivandiere - a woman who carried provisions to sell to the soldiers - attached to Col. Charles Collin's Zuaves. She washed and mended the men's clothes and often carried her small keg of whiskey to the front lines to comfort the wounded and encourage the faint of heart. Her bravery at Fredericksburg earned her a decoration from her corps.
Mary was a French immigrant who married the Philadelphia tailor Bernardo Tepe. When he enlisted in 1861, according to legend, Mary followed him to Virginia and braved 13 battles. The wound she suffered to her heel at Fredericksburg continued to cause such pain that it may have contributed to her suicide in 1900.
Echoes of Glory", Arms and Equipment of the Union,
Time - Life books, page, 141
The lace trimmed jacket and knee length skirt followed the traditional French patter. Vivandiers wore pantaloons under the short skirts.
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