Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1857-02-24
From the New York Herald.
Ilcraic d nd Il OF Il NInnlnu.

ACCOUNT or MRS. MARTHA Ann PATTES, YOUNG
LADY TWENTY YEARS OF AGE WHO COMMAND
ED A VESSEL FIFTY SIX DAYS, DURING HER
HUSBANDS ILLNESS.
The readers of the HERALD will remember an
account taken from one of the California papers.
relative to the heroic conduct OF Mrs Martha
Ann Patton. wife of Captain Patten, of the ship
Neptune's Car, who, 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 sosck that he is not eX
pected Ia live arrived in this city in the George
Law, aud now stopping at the Battery Hotel.
Her story is m interesting and painful one, and
shows how much weak, delicate woman can do
when great emergency calls out her powers
Mrs Iatten WAS born IN East Boston OF veal
thy parents and received an excellent education.
and was in every respect tenderly nurtured and
cared for. She is now but twenty yenrs of age.
de petite taiiie has small hands and features.
delicate blonde comp exon, soft blue eyes, and
altogether gives an idea of feminine softness
and wonanlness that it is impossible to associate
with the daring nerve and decisive qualities she
exhibited in u remarkable degree. At eighteen
years of age she married Captain Patten, then
but twenty five years of age.he having been
ter of u vessel-the bark st. Andrew, which piled
between New York and the South American
ports-and was then off duty, waiting until the
Cornelia Lawrence, new ship was ready for
of the ship Nrptnne's Car sickened as she was IA
bout to put to sea for voyage around the world
and the owners, Messrs. Foster and Nlckerson,
offered the post 10 Captain Patten, but he hest
tated, as he did not wish to leave his young bride
The owners. however, gave him permission TO
take er with him; and in twelve hours after the
first notification the young couple were on board
and the vessel getting ready to leave the dock
The Neptunes Car first sailed for San Francis
On tlauco Ia China from chinn tn .Dnlou. md
finally arrived in New York, after an absence OF
seventeen months. During this time Mrs. Patton
amused herself by helping her husband in his
nautical observations, worked up the time from
the chronomeiors, and occasionally kept the
reckoning of the ship. Last August the Nep
tunes Car again put to sea, and it was on this
voyage that Mrs. Patterns misfortunes commenc-
ed. As the vessel nearcd the straits Of Mag allan
her husband was taken with disease in the
head which finally developed into a brain fever.
He attended to his ship long as he was able,
and when it was impossible to give any personal
orders, he found to his di,may that his first mate
wholly incompetent to take charge OF the
ship. aud that there was no officer on board quail
flied to take the vessel into port. lie found that
the first mate was anxious TO run the vessel INTO
Valparaiso, but this he earnestly forbade as tho
crew might all leave and the cargo be destroyed
before the consignees could send for the vessel.
In this emergency Mrs. Patterns rare qualities
developed themselves. She assumed command
of the vessel herself, and the nautical obserya-
tons she once made in sport and for pastime
she now undertook duty. Her time was
spent between the bedside of her delirouS hus-
band and the whiting desk. working up ,he lntri-
cate calculations incident to nautical observa.
tions making entries in he hog book in her own
delicate penmaashp and tracing ont with ncc1.
Iacy the position of the ship from the charts IN
the cabin. The rough sailors all "bey.d the lit
tie woman" they called her. with will, and
eyed her curiously and aileciopately through the
cabin windows while deep in the calculations on
/ which her life and theirs depended. There was
one person on board, however. who viewed her
course with jealousy and mistiu>t This WIS
| the first mate. He wrote her letter warning
her of the responsibility she was assuming and
! profcrrng advice. but she spiriedly replied that
/ ''her husband would not trust him WHEN he was
well, and she could not do now that he was
! sick For fifty days Mrs. Pattcn did not
DIRE herself and took very little sleep, working
day and night, and never leaving her sick hus
! binds room. Her labors are the more surpri.
sing in view of the tacttnui she vas all this time
IN delicate condition, and soon expects to give
birth To her first child.
Mrs Patterns case is one If the most remark
| able on record, and adds one 10 the many nStan.
ces that history records of frmale devotion and
/ helosm.