Nebraska advertiser., 1863-09-19
REVOLUTIONARY HEROISM.
By EMERSON BENNETT.

Men have been immortalized for dying
on the battle field in some desperate ac-
ton where their personal valor became
conspicuous and changed an apparent
defeat into an important victory, and
though their courage was deserving of all
the praise it received, yet the glorious
need of lasting fame was not more their
due than that of thousands who have gone
down 10 an unhonore1 grave without a
record of single one of their many he
roic deeds and neble self-sacrlfces. II
takes more true courage for fond and
loving husband, father, son, or brother,
actuated only by high sense of duty to
his country, to tear himself from the en-
brace of weeping wife, child, mother,
or sister, and go forth to the tented field
than it does to charge belching battery
amid the exciting roar and carnage Of
battle.
And what of the courage and sacrifice
of the loving wife and mother, who, with
the same high sense of duty, bids him she
idolizes. who is all the world to her, 60
forth to peril his precious life, and leave
her to weep and mourn for him as one
she may never look upon again-to pass
long, weary days of sgonlzing suspense,
and nights of starting, feVerish sleep
perhaps, too, TO struggle with poverty,
and suffer with sickness and privation, or
see those suffer, because of his absence,
whose lives are dearer TO her than her
own? What of her courage and self
sacrifice, we say? He has gone to the
stirring life of the camp. the foray and
the battle field, where the daily excite
ments of a soldiers life may give some
relief TO his aching heart, by diverting
his thoughts from what he has left be-
hind; but she is left alone with her sor-
row, to suffer in secret, and struggle on
in an almost unsympathizing, pitiless
world Who notes and praise her cour-
age? What reward has she for her
great sacrifice, save that her conscience
tells her she has nobly done her duty q
He may fall, and the awful intelligence
reach her that he sleeps in a soldiers
grave, never to be seen and greeted by
her again this side the dark Valley of
Death; and what has she TO recompense
her for this loving life gone out, except
the reflection that he gave his all to his
country and she sanctioned the noble
deed?-no glory, no fame, no surround
ing applause, 10 tighten the darkness of
notwithstanding but the secret con-
uction that the sacrifice was needful and
Heaven approves.
This was the herOism of the men and
women of the Revolution this is the
heroism of the men and women of to-day 4
and those who still 1--we and suffer, should
console themselves with the certainty
that Eternal Justice does not sleep, and
that the reward of virtue will be meeted
out to them in eternity if not in time.
. But the heroism of the women of the
Revolution was not always exhibited in
a passive manner. Besides having TO
bear the loss of their supporters-to
struggle on in grief and poverty, thank
ful if they could keep a roof over their
heads and starvation from their doors
they were sometimes compelled to act in
a manner for which they were net filted
by either nature or educatlon-to handle
the deadly weapons of the sterner sex,
and defend themselves against midnight
robbers and murderers.
Whenever an invading army is en-
camped III the country of an enemy, the
inhabitants for miles around are never
secure in either property or life. vi
dettes, reconnoiterlng and foraging par
ties, are more or less abroad in every
direction, to say nothing of a prowhng
set of thieves and murders, who follow
an army as wolves do the hunter, or
jackals the lion, to pounce upon whatever
they can with impunity. During the war
of the Revolution, these vilIainous ma
rauders became very troublesome in some
sections of the country, and the unpro-
tecteS citizens, between the lines of the
two armies. often suffered terribly in life
and property. In many cases the head
of the family being away with the army,
the only inmates of the dwelling being
one or more women, with perhaps few
children toU young to afford their mother
any assistance In the event of an attack;
and such defenceless places the cowardly
marauders delighted to assail, plunder
and burn in the dead of night, not unfre-
quently numbering in cold blood the en-
tire household, or adding such foul deeds
TO their black list of crimes as we care
not to relate.
In rather lonely part of the country,
a few miles northward from Philadelphia,
at the time the British took possession of
the city, there stood solitary dwelling,
occupied by a Mrs. Parker, maiden
sister older than herself, and two chill.
dren of tender years, the husband and
father being in the army under General
Washington. The small farm, owned by
her husband was all Mrs. Parker had to
depend on for living; and this, during
his absence, was carried on by herself
and sister, both working in the fields at
plowing. planting and hoeing, and only
getting a mans help for few DAYS in
haying. Neither Mrs. Parker nor her
sister, Miss Price, was at all delicate in
person or s,rength--but, on the contrary,
quite strong and robust-and their out
door labors, of course, increased their
masculineness in some degree. Nor
were they as timid as the greater por-
tion of their ser hut yvboD thav, forDd