The Republican journal., 1876-03-02

in hot pursuit OF the victorious enemy !
IarIeton, in his history, speaks of fierce
| skirmshes with Lee and Washington
around Mrs. Bells house, and it is certain
that partisan strife ragged with great bitter
ness. Colonel Lee, on one of his raids
captured two young Tories who, wher
told that they must die. earnestly pleaded
to be taken to Mrs Bells On seeing the
and begged teartuly for her intercessiol
crying:
you know us, Mrs Bell =
How like the voice OF that fearful pro.
phecy must have sounded to them her re-
ply:
II know you not know you not"
The men met their Just reward. Yet we
may feel sure it was from no unwomanly
hardness OF heart that she thus doomed
these men to their fate On another occa-
sion Tory wretch, who had been nearly
hacked to pieces by enraged Wings, for
picking off their beloved commander,
craWled to her door and besought her
mercy, Moved by his terrible condition,
she took him iii and mrsed him to recoy-
cry; and that, too. ut a time when her
husband dared not sleep i'll his own bed
from fear Of just such outlaws as this
Mrs. Bell was soon called on for another
deed in the service of Colonel Lee and lib
erty, still more daring than invading the
British camp. 1t was discovered that a
formidable band of Tories was gathering
about fourteen miles up the river, on the
other side just after nj ghtfal one day
Mrs Bell, well mounted and armed. left
her house on Il recommending expedition
During her widowhood sle had often en-
ployed her knowledge OF midwifery for
the benefit OF her neighbors, and her skill
WAS well known throughout that country
She now assumed the midwife's character
and, OF course, the midwilt's need Of haste,
which suited her purpose admirably. Dash
ing along at full speed. she would hail any
passing traveller or call at some house on
the way, and, arttully dropping such hints
us would indicate her business, would
carelCssly inquire the condition OF the
country-it the Tories were in good spir-
Its; If they were gathering at any place
how many there We're, where they were
meeting, how to get there what were
their plans, and if she had anything to
fear should she meet them. In many cases
she received important answers, and to
the last question the invariable reply,
mot if you are on Mut business" She
would speak of her great need of haste :;
even now she might be too late and, put
ting the lash to her horse. would soon be
lost in the darkness In this way she went
over many roads turning aside wherever
She knew information was to be had for
She was acquainted with every foot of the
ground. ut daylight she was back again
i'll her own house, having travelled over
thirty miles, and learned the whole story
Of the loyalist gathering. Colonel Lee
pounced down upon them on the follow
ing night, and broke up the nest forever
1t was now three months since the
dreadful carnage at Guitord and the des-
perate strife between Wing and Tory was
raging all over the state The crack of
the rifle was heard in every forest; some
dead man lay beside nearly every ford;
and night after nj ght the glare OF burning
dwellings quyered in the skies. So ac-
tive 4 Wing as Martha Bell could not es-
cape the fury of the loyalists. Her hus-
band was in the North on matters OF busi-
ness, but the next best thing to murder
inc a patriot was the destruction of his
property. Again and again was the plan
tation invaded by bands OF armed desper-
ADDE'S. They burned the barns, drove Off
the cattle, ritled the house OF its contents,
wounded one of the little sons. and threat
cned to shoot the whole family. The f;.-
ther of Mrs Bell was making her visit.
Learning the fact, a party Of Tories came
in the night, and avowed their purpose of
taking his life. Forcing their way into
the house, they rushed upon the aged pa
triot with drawn swords Not moment
was to be lost; there was not even time
to rush across the room tor her pistols
and grasping a broad axe which stood by
the fireplace, the noble woman sprang
between her beloved parent and the APP
preaching death. Swinging the axe high
over her head, her eyes terrible with
wrath, she cried: "If one of you touches
him, Ill split you down with the axe.n
Panic stricken by this invincible spirit,
they turned and fled
Through all that bitter Summer Martha
Bell lived in desperate struggle Tor the
preservation Of her family Night and
dav were alike full Of danger: ''the terror
at MONDAY" hoyered about her dwelling,
staring at her from the darkness, or hid
ing the light of the sun. Yet her courage
and will met every emergency, and her
dauntless spirit rose above every loss. In
the fall of 1881 her husband returned, and
hoped to live concealed in his house. The
Tories soon heard of his presence, and
one dark night they surrounded the house
in large numbers. The doors We're Sc
curely barred. Finding they could make
no entrance, the rut1ians brought fire to
burn him out, AS they were passing
round Il corner Of the building, Mr. Bell
thrust his head from corner window in
tending to shoot. One man CHANGED to be
directly under the window, and cut at Mr..
Bell with his sword, .niicting a terrible
wound. His wife now shouted to her
boys to get out the guns and fire from the
windows. Then she cried out to her ne
gro Peter, raising her voice 50 that the
enemy could hear: ''Peter, run quick to
Joe Clarke's and tell him to bring up his
Lighthouse at once, tor the Tories are
here." The r2tse was q success; visions
of Joe Clarke's dreaded scouts filled their
terrified minds and the Tories fled percip-
itately 10 the woods. But this experience
sufliced for Mr. Bell. He sought place
VI SllCbN .lllNt dII uoU CilLci Ills OW ii llOuSC
for many months.
Mrs. Bell was a great favorlte with the
Wings and all We're ready to do her any
service. Accordingly, eight or ten young
men usually came over at night-tall, after
this assault. and guarded the house till
morning. When the notorious Colonel
Tanning was returning the night after his
horrible slaughter of the Wings, up the
Deep river, he rode up to the house OF
Mrs. Bell, followed by his bloody troop.
The undaunted woman began at once,
with loud voice, to give rapid command,
as if the building were full of armed men.
She ordered them to the windows, 10 take
good aim, and not fire till each one was
sure Of his man. Tanning thought he had
started hornets nest; he wheeled about
and sped down the road at full gallop,
closely pressed by the frightened troopers
who expected every moment to hear the
bullets whistle about their ears
Mrs. Bells professional services had al
ways been rendered gratuitously, and no
deeper insult could have been inflicted up
OF her than to offer her money. But, as
the war dragged wearily on, she found