The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-06-03
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
BY EMERSON BENNETT.

changed an apparent defeat into an importan
victory, and though their courage was desel
|, vi, of all the praise it received, get the gle
rious need of lasting fame was, no more thei
due than that of thousands who, have gon
down to an anhonored grave without a recor
4 of a single one of their many heroic deeds n,
noble gselfsacrifees : It takes mere tru
courage for fond loving husband, father sol
or brother, aetuated only by a high sense o
duty to his country, TO tear, himself from th
embrace of a Weeping wife, child, mother O
sister and 60 forth to the tented sfield, shan
does, to charge belching battery amid th'
exciting roar and carnage of battle.
And what, the courage and sacrifice OF the
loving wife and mother, who with the samt
high sense of duty, bids him she idolzes, whc
is a. the world to her, go forth to peril hi:
precious life, and to leave her to weep and
mourn for him as one she may never look up
on again--7to pass long, weary days OF agonl-
zing. suspense, and nights of startling, fever
ish sleep p-7perhaps, tco, to struggle with pov
serty, and suffer with sickness and privations,
or see these suffer, because of his absence,
whoes lives are dearer to her than her own
What of her courage and. selfsacrifccs we
Soy? He has gone to the bstirring life ofthe
camp, the foray and the battle field, where
the da ly exctenents Of "a soldiers life may
give some relief TO his aching heart, by di-
yer Ing his thoughts frotn what he has left
behind; but she is left alone with her sorrow,
to su Fer IL secret, and struggle en- in an al
most unsympathszins, piriigss world Who
notes and praises her courage? What reward
has she for her great sacrifice, save that her
conscience tells her she has nobly done h1r
duty He may fall, and the awful intelli
gence reach her that he sleeps in "a soldiers
grave nev to be seen and greeted by her
III 10 RI IF nd
what has she to recompense her for this lov
ing life gone out, sexcept the reflection that he
gave his all to his country and she sanctioned
the noble deed ?--no glory, no fame, no sur
rounding applause, to tighten the darkness of
deso!ation-nothingb but the secret conviction
that the sacrifice was necduI and Heaven ap-i
proves
This was the heroism of the men and women
of the Revolution this is the heroism of the
men and women of to day; and those Whol
still live and suffer, should console themselves
With the certainty that Eternal Justice doe
nos sleep, and that the reward of virtue will
&c mcled out to- them in ieternlty if not in
irae
But the heroism of the women of, the rev..
olution was not Away exhibited in passive
manner Besides having to bear the loss of
their supporters-to struggle on in grief and
Doverty, thankful, if they could keep roof
over their heads and starvation frou their
1oors-they were sometimes compelled TO dctH
ma manner for which they were not fitted by
either nature or education-to handle the
'terner weapons of the lsterner sex, to- defend
themselves against midnight robbers and mur
lcrers. i,ta Issea7 s. arlr' tf' ''@
Whenever an invading army is cncamped
n country ioflan enemy, the inhabitants for
niles around are meyer secure in either prop
f. i Il
Dragging parties, are more or less abroad in
very direction, tossay nothing of a prowline
ct of thieves and murderers, who follow an
rmy as EelVes do tbe%hunter, or, jackals the |
ION, 20 pounce upon whatever they can with
mpunlty. During the war of the revolution, |
hese villalnons marauders became very trou /
lesoms IN some sections of the country, aud |
he unprotected citizens. between the lines OF |
he two armies, often suffered terribly in life !
nd property. In many cases the head of the |
amily being away with the army, the only |
inmates of the dwelling were one or more wo |
nen, with perhaps few children, too young |
o afford ther mother any assistance in the |
vent of an attack and such defencelcss !
aces the cowardly m arauders delighted to |
ssail, plunder and burn in the dead of night. |
ot untrequcntly numbering in cold blood the
ntre hoes ,ho!d, or adding such foul deeds |
0 thei. black list of crimes as we care not to
clate. a.74dI 40 ooH -a4.' |
In rather Lonely part of the coutry, few
niles northward from Philadelphia at the
itne the British took possession of the city. |
here stood a solitary DWELLING, occupied by a
tIrs. Parker, maiden sister older than her |
elf, and two children of tender years, the |
usband and father being in the army und. r I
icneral Washington. Thesmall farm owned |
y her husband, was all Mrs Parker had to |
epcnd on for living and this. during his |
bsence, was carried on by herself and sister,
10Th working in the fields at plowng. plant
NJ aud hoelng, and only getting a mans help |
ur few days IN haying Neither Mrs Par
,er, nor her sister Miss Price, was at all deli /
ate person or streugth-but, on the con
rary quite strong and robust--and their out
oor labors, of course, increased their mascu-
lneness in some degree Nor were they as |
imid the greater portion of their sex but /
Ehen they found the enemy near them, and |
card of ths depredaticns and. barbarities OF
ere and there a rowing band of Williams, they |
lenehed their hands, and set their teeth hard. |
nd said it well the scoundrels did not |
ave two such persons as Themselves to deal |
nth. 1t might naturally have been asked,
that two women-aye, for that matter,
wo men either-could do to protect them !
elves against party of ten twenty armed
but, as we could answer the
pestion day by telling what they did do |
nder just such circumstances, we will pro-
e d to state the facts that we wish to make
nown. h5.. --sl. ia -l.4 ,.r..t...s = 1o !
As one means of protection, and also to
estrog any game, troublesome or otherwise, |
hat might chance in their. way, "a loaded |
life was always kept in the -hhSHssg, aId this
IeaPon !o9 both OF the sisters f learned g
hat there might never be any lack Of an ap%S! sHs
ition, Parker, before enisting for the war,
ad purchased keg of powder lin the city,
nd stored it in the cellar, in little cell pre-
ared expressly for it, where it was kept per-
ectly dry, and with little OF, no danger to the
nmatcS 81 u. 80. -. - =. ~ -.