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The New Zealand Evangelist

Varieties — A Heroine Of The American Revolution.

Varieties

A Heroine Of The American Revolution.

Miss E. F. Ellet is about to publish a work, which we anticipate with interest, to be called the “Women of the Revolution.” The following has not been published. It was communicated to the Rev. J. H. Saye, by two Revolutionary officers, one of whom lived in the vicinity where it occurred—the other being of the party concerned in the adventure:—

“Early in the war, the inhabitants on the frontier of Burke County, North Carolina, being apprehensive of an attack by the Indians, it was determined to seek protection in a fort in a more densely populated neighbourhood in an interior settlement. A party of soldiers was sent them to protect them on their retreat—The families assembled, the line of march was taken towards their place of destination, and they proceeded some miles unmolested—the soldiers marching in a hollow square, the refuge families in the centre. The Indians who had watched these movements had laid a plan for their destruction. The road to be travelled lay through a dense forest in the fork of a river, where the Indiana concealed themselves, and waited till the travellers were in the desired spot. Suddenly the war whoop sounded in front, and on either side; a large body of painted warriors rushed in, filling the gap by which the whites had entered, and an appalling crash of fire-arms followed. The soldiers, however, were prepared; such as ehanced to be near the trees darted behind them and began to ply their deadly rifle; the others prestrated themselves among the tall grass and crawled to trees. The families screened themselves as best they could. The onset was long and fiereely urged; ever and anon amid the din and smoke, the warriors would rush, tomahawk in hand, towards the centre; but they were repulsed by the cool intrepidity of the back-woods riflemen. Still they fought on, determined on the destruction of the victims who offered such desperate resistance. All at once an appalling sound greeted the ears of the women and children in the centre; it was a cry from their defenders—a cry for powder! “Our powder is giving out,” they exclaimed. “Have you any? Bring us some or we can page 16 fight no longer;” A woman of the party had a good supply. She spread her apron on the ground, poured her powder into it, and going round from soldier to soldier as they stood behind the trees, bade each who needed powder put down his hat, and poured a quantity upon it. Thus she went round the line of defence till her own stock, and all she could obtain from others was distributed. At last the savages gave way, and, pressed by their foes, were driven off the ground. The victorious whites returned to those for whose safety they had ventured into the wilderness. Inquiries were made as to who had been killed, and one running up, cried, “where is the woman that gave us the powder! I want to see her!” “Yes, yes! let us see her!” responded another, and another; “without her we should have been all lost!” The soldiers ran about the women and children, looking for her and making inquiries. Directly came in others from the pursuit, one of whom observing the commotion, asked the cause, and was told. “You are looking in the wrong place,” he replied. “Is she killed? Ah, we were afraid of that,” exclaimed many voices. “Not when I saw her,” answered the soldier. “When the Indians ran off, she was on her knees in prayer at the foot of yonder tree—and there I left her.” There was a simultaneous rush to the tree—and there, to their great joy, they found the woman safe, and still on her knees in prayer. Thinking not of herself, she received their applause without manifesting any other feeling than gratitude to Heaven for their great deliverance.

“The wicked flee when no man pursueth, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.”