Sally Scull
Refugio, Refugio County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Women rancher, horse trader, champion "cusser." Ranched NW of here. In Civil War Texas, Sally Scull (or Skull) freight wagons took cotton to Mexico to swap for guns, ammunition, medicines, coffee, shoes, clothing and other goods vital to the confederacy. Dressed in trousers, Mrs. Scull bossed armed employees; was sure shot with the rifle carried on her saddle or the two pistols strapped to her waist. Of good family, she had children cared for in New Orleans school. Often visited them. Loved dancing. Yet during the war, did extremely hazardous "Man's Work".
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In Civil War Texas, the Confederacy was cut off from Northern goods and blockaded at sea, making the overland "Cotton Road" to Mexico a lifeline. Sally Scull ran freight wagons down that dangerous route, trading baled cotton for guns, ammunition, medicine, and everyday supplies. A crack shot who dressed in trousers, carried a rifle and two pistols, and bossed her own armed crews, she did wartime work few men would risk.
Why it matters
She embodies the overlooked women who kept the Confederate economy supplied through Mexico, and stands as a vivid frontier example of a woman defying the gender roles of her era.
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Related people
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Themes & tags
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