The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1857-03-04
Heroic Conduct of q Woman.

WH Lduy tpehty years W age, rhO commanded
resset ftty-sir days during her husJlnds illness.
The readers Of the Bee will remember
an account taken from one of the Cali.
fornia papers, relative to the heroic con.
duct of Mrs. Martha Ann Patten,
wife of Capt. Patten of tho ship
Neptune's Carwho during her husbands
illness took charge of the vessel and
navigated it safely into San Francisco -
This lady together with her husband who
is now so sick that he is not expected to
live, arrived in Now York in the George
law. and it was expected that they
would come to this city, but Capt. Pat.
ten was too sick to be moved. Her story
is an interesting and painful one, and
shows how much weak, delicate wo.
man can do, when a great emergency
calls out her powers.
Mrs. Patten was born in East Boston
oi wealthy parents, and received an ex-
cellent education, and was in every re.
spect tepdcrly nurtnred and cared for.
She Is, says the Now York Uerau, now
but twenty years of age. dc petite taiiXc,
has small hands and features, delicate
blonde complexion, soft blue eyes, and
altogether gives one an idea of feminine
softness and womanliness that it is i'm.
possible to associate with the daring
nerve and decisive qualities she exhibi.
ted in remarkable degree. At eigh-
teen years she married Capt. Patten,
then but twenty five years of age, he
having been master If a vosscl-tho
bark ST. Andrew, which piled be-
tween New York and the South A
merican ports-ond was then off duty,
waiting until the Cornela Lawrence,
new ship, was ready for sea, Capt. Pat
ten, is a native Of Rockland, Maine, and
has risen from tho forccastlo solely by
his own exertions He sailed from New
York in July last, for San Francisco, as
commander Of the clippership Nep,une's
Car, of Foster & Nickerson's line, and it
was during this voyage that his wife rem
dered herself SO distinguished. The
Neptune's Car left port at the same time
with the clippers Romance of the Seas.
Intrepid, and two others. AS usual with
commanders in the Pacific trade, Capt.
Patton wished to get his ship into port
ahead of his rivals. lie soon found that
his first mate slept during balf his watch
on tho quarterback while lie kept the
ship under reeted courses, aud after re-
peated circumstances had proved una
vailng he found it necessary to remove
him.-After that ho undertook to dis
charge the mates duties as well as his
own, and in consequence Of fatigue was
taken sick, while passing through the
Straits Of lie Maire, around the Horn,
and in a short time brain fever develop
cd itself
From that time, up to the period of
her arrival at San Francisco, Mrs. Pat.
ten was both nurse aud navigator. When
her husband was taken sick the ship
was given in charge of the second mato.
He however, was but an Indifferent nav
igator, and although he knew how to take
an observation. he c,uld not work up the
reckoning. Mrs. Patten, who on her
previous voyage, aud had studied navi-
CATION as q pastime, now took observa-
tions, worked up the reckoning BY chro-
nometer time, laid the ships courses ,aud
performed most of the other duties of
the captain of the ship. During this
time her husband was delirious with the
fever. aud she shaved his head, and de-
vised every means in her power to soothe
and restore him. To this end she studied
medicine to know how to treat his case
intelligently. and in course of time sue
cceded in carrying him alive through the
crisis Of his complaint.
About one week after the Captain fell
sick the nate wrote letter to Mrs Pat.
ten, reminding her of the danger of the
! coast and the great responsibility she
had assumed, and ofdring to take charge
Of the ship. She replied that in the
| judgement of her husband, he was unfit
I TO be mate, and therefore she could not
consider him qualified 10 fill the post of
commander. Stung by this rebuff, the
fellow tried to stir up the crew to mutt.
ny against her but she called tho other
mates and sailors aft, and appealed to
them to support her in her hour of trial.
To man they resolved to stand by her
and tue ship, come what might. 1t was
pleasant to witness their cheerful obedi.
eDce to her orders, as each man Wed
with his fellows 10 tho performance of
his duty
By this time the ship camo nearly up
to the latitude of alparaiso, Capt. Pat
ten had somewhat recovered from the
fever, although far too weak for any men
tai or physical oxertion, and the mato
under promise of doing better in future,
had partially resumed duty. But Mira.
Patten discovering that be was steering
the ship ont of her course, aud making
for Valparaiso, apprised her husband Of
the fact. The mate was summoned
below and asked to explain bis conduct,
which he did by saying that he could
not keep the ship nearer her course
Capt. Patten then had his cot moved TO
a part of the cabin from which he could
view the "tell-tale' of the compass, aud
soon found that the mate was still steer
ing for Valparaiso He then sent for