Delaware inquirer. (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??, 1859-12-31

their wounds would permit After waiting O
prudent time, and reconnoitring as well as SHE
could from her position above, Mrs. Thomas
descended the stairs, and opened the doors
When her husband made his appearance, and
knew how gallantly the plunderers had been
repulsed, his joy was only equaledby admra-
tion of his wifes heroism. The powder thus
preserved constituted the principal supply fol-
Sumters army in the battles at Rocky Mount
and Hanging Rock"
| A still more daring exploit is related of two
ladies of the name of Martin, wives of two
| intelligence came that a courier, conveying in-
portant dispatches to ono of the upper stations,
was to pass that night along theroad, guarded
| by two British officers They determined to
| to waylay the party, and Mt the risk of their
! lives to obtain possession of the papers. For
this purpose the two young women disguised
| themselves in their husbands clothes, and be-
| ing we'll provided with arms, took their station
| at point on the road which they knew tie es-
cort must pass. 1t was already late, and they
uhu HUI Whlttu lung tllU tramp vi uOl-
ses was heard in the distance. II may be i'm
agined with what anxious expectation the he
roines awaited the approach ofthe critical mo-
ment on which so much depended. The forest
solitude around them, the silence of night and
the darkness, must have added to the terrors
conjured up by busy fancy. Presently the cour-
Ter appeared with his attendant guards. As
As they came close to the spot, the disguised
women leapt from their covert in the bushes
presented their pistols at the officers, and de-
manded the instant surrender OF the party and
their dispatches. The men were completely
taken by surprises and in their alarm atthe sud-
den attack, yielded prompt submission. The
seeming soldiers put them on their parole, and
having taken possession of the papers, hasten
ed home by short cut through the woods."-
1t happened curiously that the officers, return
ing on parole, claimed the hospitality..of these
very ladies, and related their mishap TO them,
without having the slightest suspicion of the
identity of their conquerors and entertainers.
Perhaps, however, the crowning instance of
female heroism is the following AT the siege
of Bryant's station near Lexington, large
body of Indians were known to the beleagured
garrison to be lying in ambush near the spring
where they drew water. On the other side of
the fort there was party in full view, who, at
given time, were to open fire, and while
the garrison were occupied in returning this,
and perhaps makinga sally the ambuscade was
to unmask themselves, and make an attack on
the undcfended quarter. Such being the plans
of the enemy, how was the garrison to obtain
water? If men went for it, the ambuscade
would in all probability fire; and when they
fled from an overpowering force endeavor to
enter the fort with the fugitives. If the wo-
men went for the water-ns the women usual
ly did-was there not chance that the Indians
would suppose their ambuscade to be nnds-
covered, and allow them to return unframed
On this chance the women went. "a few of
the boldest declared their readiness to brave
the danger, and the younger and more timd
| rallying in the rear OF these veterans, they all
marched down in body to the spring, within
point blank shot of more than five hundred
Indian warriors some of the girls could not
help betraying symptoms of terror but the
married women, in general, moved with a
steadness and composnre that completely de-
ceyed the Indians. Not a shot was fired. The
party were permitted to fill their buckets, one
after another, without interruption; and al
though their steps became quicker and quicker
on their return, and when near the fort degen-
49,. calamity with
some little crowding in passing the gate, yet
not more than one-fifth of the water was spill
ed, and the eyes of the youngest had not di-
lated to more than double their ordinary size" !"
If we had room, we should enter into some
details of q curious story related by our au-
ther OF young woman named Deborah SAM
son, who assumed male attire, and enlisted
in the army from considerations of the purest
patriotism. She lived blameessly, fought
galantly, gained unconsciousy the affections
of young lady and finally, on the discovery
of her strange secret, received her discharge
from the hands of Washington himself with
| fatherly tenderness and delicacy.
| We conclude with a notice of the American
fortunes of Flora Macdonald, who in l775 re-
moved with her husband from the Scottish
Highlands to North Carolina. at was stor-
my period, and those who came to seeek peace
and security found disturbance and civil war,
The colonial governor summoned the Highland
emigrants to support the royal cause General
Donald MDonald, a kinsman of Flora's, who
was the most influential among them, erected
his standard at Cross Creek, and on tine lst OF
February, l776, sent forth his proclamation
calling on all his true and loyal countrymen to
| Join him. Flora herself espoused the cause OF
the English monarch with the same spirit and
enthusiasm she had shown thirty years before
in the cause of the prince she saved She ac-
companied her husband when he went to joir
the army, and tradition even says she was seer
among the soldiers, animating their courage
when on the eve of their march. Though thii
may be an exaggeration, there is no doubt tina
her influence went far to inspire her assembled
clansmen and neighbors with zeal kindred tt
her own. The celebrated battle of M0orei
Greek proved another Culloden to the brav'
but unfortunate Highlanders. The unhapp,
General MDonald, who had been prevented
by illness from commanding his troops in thu
encounter, was found, when the engagement
was over, sitting alone on stump near hi
tent and as the victorious American officer
advanced towards him, he waved in the air tn
parchment scroll of his commission. and sur
rendered it into their hands. Captain MDon