The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-03-09
An Old Campaigner.

| in the United States army, died at New
port, KY, on the 18th, at the advanced
age of ninety-one years. The old lady,
who had led a life full of romantic adj
venture, had been ailing for some time,
and Thursday it was believed that her
death was imminent, but the extraor-
binary vitality which had carried her
through the many hardships and trials
incident to the life of the wife of an act
i've army officer sustained her until
| Tuesday, when death brought to an end
| a life whose history is, to certain eX-
tent, record of the old Indian wars,
the war of 1872, and of other important
events ia the story of the nations life.
Mrs. Whistler's birthplace was Salem,
Mass, where she was born July 3, 17S7
Her father was John Pearson, a British
subject, and a Captain in the merchant
marine service. Her mother was a
| daughter of Mr.. Leduc, of Montreal,
Canada. In heryouth Miss Pearson went
to Detroit, where she was married,
May 10, 1902, to Ensign William Whist
ler of the First Regiment United States
Infantry, her army career thus begin
ming when she was only fifteen years of
age. In the following year she, together
with her husband, who was but twenty
years of age, embarked on the United
States schooner Tracy for Chicago, he
having been ordered there with his
father, Maj. John Whistler, who had
beer instructed to occupy that point
and build a fort there. At this time
Chicago consisted only of few rude
huts, and Immediately upon arriving
there the command set to work erecting
stockade for their protection, work
which was accomplished with great diff
Guilty, as, in the absence of horses, all
the timber for the purpose had to be
dragged by the soldiers. During the five
years passed at this post Mrs. Whistler
gave birth to two children. Life here
would have been monotonouS but for
the many narrow escapes from death at
the hands of the savages which infested
the surrounding country. In 1903 she
moved with her husband company to
Fort Wayne, Mich, where she re-
manned until 1872, when she visited her
friends at Sandwich, Canada. While
she was here the war with England be-
came imminent, and her husband
started to bring her home, but got only
as far as Detroit when the war was de-
clared, and the British, under Gen.
Brock, together with their Indian allies,
attacked the place. Up to the very
last Mrs. Whistler, who behaved hero
ically throughout the siege, was able to
describe wildly the scenes and circum-
stances of the event, dwelling with es-
ial hot oh n of aH
1.-the weakness of Gen. Hull in surren-
dering to the red coats when we could
have whipped them all to nothing," and
describing infinitely the terrors, during
the bombardment, of the trembling
women and children and old men who
had sought the fort as a refuge from the
tomahawk and scalping-knife of the saw
ages. During the fray Mrs. Whistler
attended to the comfort of the sick and
wounded, and, on one occasion, when
stepping out to demonstrate with Gen.
Hull, who, report said, intended to sur
render, she was despatched with the
blood of four men, Capt. Hancks, Lieut..
Smelling, DIR. Reynolds, and another
physician, who were killed at her side
by round shot from the enemy's bat
teries at Sandwich. Undaunted, how
ever, by this terrible warning, she
pushed her way to the quarters of Col.
John Miller, who accompanied her to
the Generals headquarters, which they
reached justin time to see the white flag
rise above the ramparts of the fort. The
garrison were taken prisoners and con-
veyed to Fort Erie, opposite Buffalo,
whence they were taken to Fort George,
now Niagara. Here she was the guest
of Col. Meyer, of the English army, a
personal friend of her father, Mr.. Fear
son, and while enjoying his hospitality
she was rescued by him from murder
Gus Indian, who, while she was sitting
at an open window, stole up behind her
and would have cleaved her head with
a tomahawk but for the Colonefs pres
ence of mind. From this point they
were removed to Montreal, where Lieut..
Whistler was paroled, and started to
Albany, N. Y, for orders, where Mrs.
Whistler gave birth to daughter. In
a few weeks they went to Newport, KY,
making the trip from Pittsburgh in a
keelboat. She had hardly got settled
here when she and her husband were
| Oruereu Ddck 10 Albany as WITNESSES IN
the court-martial Of Gen. Hull, who, she
insisted to her last days, "sold out to
the British" Returning after the trial
to Newport, they remained there until
1916, when they were ordered to Fort
Gratiot. In 1917 they were ordered to
Mackinaw, where they remained two
months, after which they movedto Camp
Smith, Green Bay, where Lieut.. Whistler
built Fort Howard. In the spring of
1925, on account of the hostility of the
Northumberland Indians, they were
ordered to Mackinaw, and in 1926, at
the breaking out of the Winnebago war,
they were transferred to Fort Howard,
remaining there until the commence
ment of the Black Hawk war, when they
went to Fort Niagara, where they re-
manned until 1882. Thence they went
to Fort Dearborn, Chicago, and in 1888
they returned to Fort Mackinaw. After
a stay at Sault Ste. Marie they were
transferred back to Fort Dearborn in
1884. In the meantime the lieutenant
had reached the rank of Lieutenant
Colonel of the Seventh United States
Light Infantry, and as such he was di'
rected to join his regiment in Indian Ter
ritory, whittier they went Uia st. Louis
Having settled at Fort Gibson, the ques
finn ne hn haY n ~ cor, YnnaiVp