Annie Walsh

Who is Annie Walsh?

Annie Walsh, known under the pseudonym Battle Annie, was an American criminal and member of the Gopher Gang. A well-known criminal figure described in the press as "The Queen of Hell's Kitchen" and "the most feared brick hurler of her time", Walsh was the founder and longtime leader of the gang's female auxiliary, the Lady Gophers, headquartered at Mallet Murphy's Battle Row saloon where they were officially known as the Ladies Battle Row and Auxillery [sic?] Club. She was able to assemble a force from fifty up to several hundred women who, armed with clubs, were used as reserve members in gang fights against rival gangs and police. Battle Annie and her group were also hired out by businesses and labor unions throughout a number of violent labor disputes during the 1870s.

Battle Annie appears as a minor character in the 2003 historical novel A Passionate Girl by Thomas J. Fleming.