The Litchfield County post., 1828-09-18
The SPY UNMASKED.

been comparatively silent. There are many
individual instances of the heroic ardor Of
our people during the Revolution, which
would tell well in history, bur are left to lin
ger in the recollections of succeeding genera
tons. The following, from a new work en-
titled 1.-THE Spy Unmasked," exemplifes
one among the many striking examples of
that love of liberty and undaunted spirit
which characterised our county women in the
war of independence.
"A good lady-we knew her when she had
grown old--in 1775 lived on the sea-bOard,
about days march from Boston, where the
British army then was. By some unaccoun-
table accident a rum0r was spread in town &
country, 10 and about there, that the regulars
were Oh :, march for that place, and would
probably arrive IN three hours al the farthest.
This was after the Battle of Lexington, and
all, as well might be supposed, was in sad
confusion-some were boiling with rage and
4 full of fight, some hiding their treasures. and
Others flying for life. In this wild moment,
when most people, some way or other, were
frightened from their property, our heroine
who had two sons one about 10 years of age,
the other about is, was seen by our inform
ant preparing them to discharge their duty.
The eldest she was able to equip in fine style:
she took her husbands :owling- piece, made
for duck or plover," &the good man being alb
sent on a coasting voyage to Virginia. and
with it the powder-horn and shot-bag; but
the lad thinking that the duck and goose shot
not quite the size to kill regulars, his mother
took csel, cut up her pewter spoons, ham
mered them into siugs, and put them into bis
bag, and he sat OF in great earnest, but thot
he would call one moment and see the par
son, who said well done, my brave boy
God preserve you''--and on he went in the
way of his duty. The youngest was mpor-
tunate for his equipments but his mother
could find nothing 10 arm him with but an old
rusty sword; the boy seemed rather unwl-
ling to risk himself with this alone, but lin
gered in the street, in state of hesit ,tion.
when his mother thus upbraided him. You
John H. what will your father say, if he
hears child Of his is afraid to meet the Brit
ish Go aIong-heg OF borrow gun or you
will find one, child--some coward,I dare say,
will be running away then take his gun and
march forward, and if you come back, and
hear you have not behaved like = man, | shall
carry the blush of shame on my face to the
grave She then shut the door, wiped the
tear from her eye, and waited the issue the
boy joined the march. Such woman could
not have towards for sous. Instances of re-
red at that period every day. in different pla-
ces and in fact, this disposition and feeling
was then so common. that it now operates
as one great cause of our not having more
acts of this kind recorded. What few there
are remembered should not be lost. Nothing
great or glorious was ever achieved which
woman did not act in, advise or consent to-"
# ESCAPE FROM A sUTTEE.
A correspondent OF the Bengal Hukaru
gives the following detail of the escape of a
woman from the funeral pile of her hus-
band:
Having been informed that a Suffice was
about to take place at the Chitpore Ghaut,
left my residence with the intention of pro-
ceeding to the spot. On arriving at Thanna
learnt that the woman who was about to
immediate herself. had, after feeling the fire,
leaped from the pile, and made her escape;
IN consequence of this intelligence aghted
from my buggy, and entered the Thanna
wishing to make myself further acquainted
with the particulars. The Darogah informed
me, that having received strict charge from
the Magistrate to see that every thing was
done at Suttees according to law, he had act
ed up to his orders. and that, in consequence,
he had caused the fire to be put to the pile
before the woman assembled it; and that af-
ter she had laid herself upon it, had suffered
no one to bind her THAT the woman soon
as the fire reached her, had leaped from the
pile, and he had taken her for protection into
custody. The poor creature lay on mat in
the Thanna. Her wounds did not appear to
be severe, one side of her face and part of
her back was burned. On being nterrOga
ted as to the reason of her ascending the
pile, she replied by pointing to her forehead :
intending thereby it was her destiny. She
expressed great horror at the idea of return
ing to the fire. In answer to my question,
as to what she wished to do in future, she
said she wished to be taken to her house, and
that in case her relations would not receive her
again she had property sufficient to maintain
herself The probability of returning home
seems to be small, as the universal opinion "a
mong the people was that her family was al
ready much disgraced by her condnct in not
burning, and would be much more SO if they
received her. By an order from the Magis-
trate, find she had been conveyed to a hos
pital, where, it is to be hoped. she will snon
recover from her wounds. This fact cOnvin-
ces ME, and have no doubt it will most of
our readers, that were the native Police Off
Gers more generally careful that nothing on