Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-09-09
The Heroine of Tampico.

Mexican war, Is In this city, upon q SNORT
visit, and has lodgings at the Sturtevant
House, in East Boston. This, we believe, is
the first visit of Mrs. c. to New England.
She appears to be enjoying the most complete
health, is still the same active, energetic,
and intelligent woman, and capable OF cap
! turing more Mexican cities, should there
come like necessity. To give some idea of
the brilliant achievement Of this lady, we
take the liberty to publish the following ex-
tract from an address delivered some years
ago in New Hampshire, by Colonel Isaac O.
Barnes, of this city:
Il cannot forego the pleasure of referring
| to woman who has been connected with
events of very recent date, and the account
ofwhose courage and intrepid conduct have
very lately received from her own lips,
much more in detail than | can now re-
peat it.
Franklin Chase our consul at TampcO,
just after the battles on the Rio Grande, re-
ceived peremptory orders to leave the town
and Mexican territory in six hours, and not
to disobey upon the peril of hislite. The or
der was in direct violation Of the treaty be-
tween the two countries, yet, from the re-
vengeful character of the people, he knew
| it would be executed to the letter. lie was
largely engaged in trade. All his property
consisted of house, and a store filled with
valuable goods. lie prepared, of course, to
leave all; but his wife Ann Chase refused to
20 with him. He entreated and commanded
her, but to no purpose.
At length. tearing himself away, he was
enabled to reach the American sloop-ot-war
! lying in the ofing, just in season to comply
with the tyrannical order of the Mexican
| general. Mrs Chase was now left alone
There was not an American in the place.
She was surrounded by excited and bitter
enemies, detenceless woman. But she did
not talter nor finch, nor droop i'll desponden-
cy She was equal to the emergency. She
soon began to make preparations To effect
The surrender Of the town to the naval forces
of the United States, then cruising in the
Gulf of Mexico. She engaged certain Mex
| lean pilots to give her the exact soundings
over the bar at the mouth of the river on
which the city stands With the aid of this
information and an old English chart she
constructors plain of Tampico and its neigh
borhood.
She then contrived to open a correspon-
| dence with the Commodore OF the American
| fleet She was carried herself in an open
canoe, rowed by two Indians, twenty miles to
sea, in the night, to the Commodore's ship.
She there furnished him with the plan al
ready prepared and made arrangements to
raise signal III the town, when the proper
time should arrive for safe landing. She
returned unobseryed and unframed, and inn
rnedately set to work to redeem her pledge To
the Commodore.
One bright summer morning soon after,
10 the utter establishment and dismay Of the
Mexicans she was seen on the highest point
of the roof of her dwelling house, her arm
encircling and sustaining Il flagstaff, from
which ioated in the breeze the American
stars and stripes In vain the people shout
ed to her, and threatened her with instant
death, if she persisted in maintaining her po-
sition. She replied in her accustomed calm
and collected manner
you can do me but little harm; you can
only rob me of a few short years of life by
any death you can intlict. have raised this
tiag of my country over my house, and here
it shall remain. have taken my stand un-
der its folds, and it shall be my shroud if |
perish on this roof
And there sho did remain until relieved
by detachment Of officers and men from
the American squadron, accompanied by her
husband. The result. is well known. The
Mexcans became alarmed. panic stricken,
and finally fled in all directions. The town
was completely deserted before II single
boat had landed. Mrs. Chase alone had
put to rout the inhabitants, soldiers and all,
and was the sole mistress of TampcO.
For this daring and brilliant exploit she
deserved and has received, the highest COM
mcndations, the praise and the thanks Of the
people of the United States
splendid service Of plate.
The ladies' of Cincinnati sent her Il beau
tiful flag.
Others have honored her by sending to
her swords, firearms, and even pieces of ar
tillery, in token of respect for this deed of
heroism.
1t is almost impossible to disconnect in
our own minds such female from all that
is masculine, ferocious and passionate.
Yet, if you should ever have the good for
tune to meet this lady, you will find her
quiet modest, and retiring; intelligent, kind
and benevolent: pious, devoted Presbyte-
ran, and just the last person one would have
selected, at first sight, for the warlike service
in which she was involved.
1t is hardly necessary for me to add that
she is descended from the same stock we
have considered so much to-day; that she ~
one Of the very best of that people, who
"are brave as they are gentle, and gentle as
they are brave"
She is Scotch-Iish: her parents are Of
Londonderry, on the Fcylc, and she is rca-
ted, in no very distant degree, to the noble
house Of the "Red DougiaS. "-Boston Tran
script.
Stage SCENERY IN SHAKsrEARE's Tine
1t appears that Shakespeare, our great master
of picturesque situations, was but little aided
by the artistic ability Of his age. Sir Philip
Sydney says, speaking of tragedies and
comedies rs exhibited at the public theatres:
"Now you shall have three ladies walk to gath
or flowers, and Their we must believe the stage
to be Il garden. By-anl-by We hear news Of
shipwrcck in the same place: then we are to
blame if we accept it not for n rock. Upon
the back Of that comes out hideous monster
-, N ~ s,nnL n. nd than ba ,,i.ora 10