Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1863-03-23
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FEMALE HEROISM.

We recently fell upon copy OF the
Spirit of the Age, dated just FIVE years
ago, and found in it many touching and
thrilling details of the great Sepoy war
then raging in India, and in which was re.
corded the most remarkable instances Of
WoMAN's heroism and devotion to coun
try and we have concluded to reproduce
the touching story of "Jessie- Brown
remarking that she has found many al
counterpart 10 our own loved "Sunny
South" dNriqg the progress of the inhu
man war which the Yankee Sepoys have
wsged against US.
In this war, as we'll as in the Sepoy war
Of 1851, woman has borne part, and oc
cupied position not often occupied among
the nations of the earth indeed the great
rallying cry there, owing TO the outrages
committed upon her sex, as here owing to
the Infamous threats of the beast Butler,
and the commission of deeds by the north
ern fiends all over the country where they
have been, has been the name and honor
of Woman! ,
When the tidings Of an instruction
among the Sepoys of India first reached
US last summer, nobody felt any especial
interest or sympathy with either party /;
nay, it might have been that what existed
of these was PARTIAL with the insurgents
for this revolt was felt by many to be the
rising of the oppressed against the op.
pressors, the long delayed retaliation of q
people who had borne what the weak usu
ally have to bear from the strong, anC
whom long years OF unjust taxation anc
petty tyrannies had at last goaded to re
bellion. .....-s
But little later there rose cry from
that far off land, seated in its wondrou
tropical beauty on the blue waters of th
Indian ocean; cry that smote the hear
of Christendom.as the heart Of singl
man.
No wonder there was swift arming i
mobiles hall and by peasants hearthstont
for the means of murdered women and tn
cries of slaughtered children, came pite
ously across the Summer waters, and rou
sed all the old Teutonic chivalry in tE
heart of the nation, and throughout tt
land strong men with banched faces LITE
their hands and swore to avenge tt
wrongs Of woman, in the name of the &c
of battles
Oh, it is this reverence for woman tn
shines bright and steady light over {
the darkness and barbarism of the ear
Teutonic race it is this that, next to Il
Bible, has placed the Saxon nation so
above all the nations of the earth, i
brightest stars Of all her star of streng
But Through all the sickcning and revo
ing details of this war the newspape
have given us pictures of scenes, which
tragical power and living pathos, surp
the history of any war the earth has e1
witnessed. What painter ever conceiv
of a scene like the one where the band
soldiers clustered around the body of t
murdered girl, and each reverently rece
ing one of the tresses that had crown
her young head in life and innocence, b.
with haggard brows and fiery eyes o
their fearful task of counting the b;
therein, before they all lifted their hal
and swore that for every one of these al
ther life should make recompense.
Oh, English maiden girl terrible
was thy fate in the fair land of thy fa
er's adoption, surely thou vast aveng
and it may be from the grave made
thy foul murderers, thy voice, could
speak, would come back softly to Us,
"In the midst Of wrath, remember mercy"
Who, too, has not read the lette
that lady of Lucknow. We pity the !
or the woman who could do 1t with
eyes aud steady voice.
How simple she tells her story, that
tragical interest and heroic patience,
never, in all the annals of ancient or n
ern history, been surpassed. Here, in
heart of this practical nineteenth cent
was enacted drama, whose scenes OF
ror, despair, and final deliverance, exec
ed all that it.ever entered into the t
of genius to conceive Of. The days OF
Caesars, the wars of the Crusaders, Q
furnished tragedy like this just t
Of 1t! These helpless women had
imprisoned for months, in the Resid
at Lucknow, with only that little BAN
brave men to stand between them