The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1857-08-12
fell across the threshold. The surviving

Indian, daring not to- venture and it
was well for his skull that headid not
fred at random, and ran away.
~" Now said the mother to the daugh-
ter, 1--WE must leave;" and taking the I
rifle and the axe, they zhastened to the
river, jumped into d canoe, and without a
morsel of provision, except avid duck ]
and two blackbirds which the mother shot
on the voyage, and which they ate raw,
they padded the canoe down the river
until, they reached the residence of
French settler in st. Louis sesaa aio
- Some time after a party of hunters
started off into illinois, and secured the
country in every direction; but they re-
turned without finding either the squatter
OF his boys, Should the traveller pass by
the beautiful city of Peoria, in his west
ward wanderings, the old settlers in th at
neighborhood, can point out the spot
where stood the cabin of the squatter, so
heroicaHy defended by hswife and daugh-,
ter, and who SO nobly avenged the death
of the father and sons ai9s'.s- us
The pioneer women of the West like
the men, were made of sterner stuff,than
enters into the composition of the most
of our modsrn ladies and gentlemen.
They were brave in entering the wilder
ness, and they showed themselves equally
50, in graphing with its difficulties, and
e. c untering its perils. Who has not
il a d 5of the heroic Elizabeth Zane, at
Fort Henry, in 1777, where the city Of.
Wheeling now stands q When large
army Of savages had been collected under
the infamous Girty, and had attacked the
I fort having killed in an outside skirmish
several officers and men, a fearful crisis
had arrived. The force was reduced to
eleven men and boys. The houses of the
village were occupied by the savage foe
who for a moment had ceased hostilities
and had Withdrawn to the base of the hill
which rose abruptly and precipitously
from the narrow valley. The ,ammuni-
ton of the fortw nearly exhausted; and
the stock must be replenished or all would
fall-men, women, and children, a prey
to the merciless savage. About sixty
yards distant, at the house of Ebenezer
Zane, there was a key powder. lfthat
could be procured, they would be enabled
successfully to defend the fort and keep
the Indians at bay. Not man or boy,
for they were almost equally good marks
men, could be spared, and yet some one
must risk his life in the undertaking. It
was the rforlorn hope of that little band,
and on it their fate was to turn.
The commander, Col. Shepard, called
for a volunteer in this perilous underta-
king. Several promptly offered their SER
vices both men and boys; but they were
the bravest of the band, and could least be
spared. The difficulty seemed to be not
so much in finding the heart stout enough
for the fearful undertaking, but in making
the selection. Just then, up stepped
slender delicate girl. With the spirit of
her father, she said to the commander,
"I viii bring the powder. If I die in
the attempt my loss will not be felt.' In
vain they strove to dissuade her. she would
most certainly be shot; besides she couldn't
run with the fieetness of a man. All en-
treaties were in vain, and she heroically
exclaimed, "Open the gates and let mo
gow With fearful eyes the gates were
opened, and the intrepid girl bounded
toward the house. The moment after she
emerged from tho fort she was seen by the
Indians, who instead of firing at her,
seemed to be taken by surprise and
astonishment that for moment suspend
ed their murderous purpose. She reached
the house, entered it, secured the desired
keg, and started back to the fort. The
soul of the heroic girl was in the effort,
and bravely it sustained her. AS she sped
across the space with her burden, adozen
rifles were raised, and their sharp stimuli
taneous crack, seemed to announce her
doom; but she neither fell nor faltered.
On with accelerated speed she urged her
way; and passing the gates, she entered
the fort in safety. The deed Of that brave
girl saved the fort; and an advantage was
gained over the savages from which they
did not recover so as to renew their dep
relations in future on that frontier outpost.
Pioneer life in the West abounds with
incidents of female heroism; and the
simple story of their deeds possesses a
more thrilling interest than can be infused
by the most fervent and fruitful imagina-
ton, into any scene Of felton, Pioneer
Of tie Vest
4 b