The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1873-06-14
FEMALE WARRIORS.
remarkable WOman-VirginfeC Chess
qutSres and Her ~ Onderlui Career.
From the BTits h Army and Navy Journal

y "
qnieres and Her ~ onderfuI Career.
From the British Army and Navy journal.
A remarkable old woman, named
Vlrglnie Chesquieres, has just depart
ed this life close to Issy, near Paris.
She had almost attained her hundredth
year, and had behaved with remarkable
heroism during the war of the first en-
pre-, at which period she fought as
soldier IN the twenty-seventh regiment.
She went through the Peninsular cam
paign, and gained the rank of Sergeant
for gallantry and good conduct, and
on one occasion she carried of the
dead body of her Colonel under
fire. While trying to lift up
the corpse of her commander, two Of
the enemy approached, upon which she
made signs pretending to be wound
ed; they hurried forward to secure
their prisoner, but when they we're near
the Sergeant shot one of them, seize1
his horse, flung the body over the
saddle-bow, and rode back to the
French lines. The other trooper fled
on seeing his Comrade fall. The Ser
geant, however, had been wounded and
blood was flowing from her breast The
surgeon insisted on undressing the
Sergeant, and then it was discovered
that the gallant non commissioned of
ficer belonged to the fair sex.
We do not find the name of Virginie
Chesquieres among the ''NIil1tary Wo-
men of France although the list is
long and the author has accepted far
more curious stories. Take the tale of
the Countess of Saint Baslemont, a
French lady, who married an officer in
the service of the Duke of Lorraine.
She had hardly espoused the Count
when war broke out, and the lady
joined the army of Louis XII, while
her husband fought on the opposite
side. We are told that the Countess
remained faithful to her lord and mas
| ter, and, disguised as a man, disarmed
in duel a young cavalier who
had lmportuned her too freely
when dressed in the grab OF
her sex. She IS said TO have
killed more than four hundred men
and when General Jean Louis Erlach
marched through Champagne, all
alone she attacked three German troop
ers, who were Selling some farm horses,
and held them till her people arrived.
She afterward entered chateau, by an
upper window, and, though abandoned
by her comrades, pistol III hand, jump
| ed into a room where there were seven
teen men, whom she managed to dis
arm. These and many other stories
are told about the Countess, who was
probably very pretty woman, and
acted on the warriors of the period as
a virgin is said to act on the natural
instincts of the lion. Her life has been
written by Father Vernon, under the
title of s. L'Amazone Chretienne."
Talking of these warlike women re.
minds us that at the commencement OF
the French Revolution corps of Anna
IONS was raised vino offered up prayers
TO BellOna, an extract of one of which
has been handed down to us. 1t runs
And we also, we know how to die OF
TO conquer; we know how to WELD
other weapons than the needle and
distaff. O Goddess, companion OF
Mars, following thy example, all wo.
men ought to march in rank with the
men. Goddess of force and courage
thou shalt never have cause to blush
for French women" This corps never
saw service, and was succeeded by the
Tricoteuses, and they by the Lecheus
es, who used to lick the blood-staine(
posts of the uuIll0tine