The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1879-09-19
MEMoIC WOVEN.

In foreign paper before Us we read
Of an anniversary celebration, which
took place q few weeks since at the
town Of Beauvais, France, which was
very prolific in It's suggestivenesa. In
the latter part Of june, 1472, Charles
the Bold, Duke Of Burgundy, surprised
the French town Of Beauvais, and at
tempted 10 storm the walls. As the
Burgundian standard bearer was plant
ing his colors on the rampant, young
girl in her teens, named Jeanne LAine
lfor the defence was made solely by the
matrons and 9aidsof Beauyais) brained
the invader with hatchet, tore the
standard from his death-grasp, and
hurled his body down the scaling-lad-
der. Beauvais was saved and the Bur
gundians were, like the French at Zara-
gozas "foiled BY = woman's hand before
3 ruined wall. This heroine is known
in history ~ Jeanne Hachette, and her
little hatchet Is as famous ~ our Wash
ington's. The captured flag Il sacredIy
preserved in the Town Hail at Beau
vais, and was brought forth with great
pride by the officials at the celebration
above alluded to.
We say this reference was prolific in
suggestiyeness. How promptly men,
ory recalls that wonderful peasant girl
Of Orleans, who led 20 successfully the
chiyalry Of France TO battle who com.
manded armies and hurled back the tide
Of invasion Truly, Joan of Arc was
inspired. Again, in the French cam
paign Of '93 General Dumouriez had
for his aides-de-camp two Of the love
liest ladies Of France, who, in their
dazzling cavalry uniforms, carried or
ders through the thickest Of the fght,
cheering on the soldiers, and even lead
ing more than one gallant charge, as
they waved their cleaning swords above
their plumed heads. In nearly every
French field Of battle, history tells us,
women have been found where the dead
lay thickest, beside brother, lover or
husband. What splendid examples Of
female chivalry arc afforded by the fields
Of romantic CASTLE Who can forget
the Aieges Of Saragoasa, Valencia and
Tortosa, where the women enrolled
themselves in battalions end fought
with unexampled braveryi The Maid
Of Saragossa took her place in the bat
tery, when her lover was slain, point
ing the gun and applying the match,
when even veteran aoldiels fell back
before the deadly storm Of shot and
shell.
Who does not remember, in this con-
nection Of heroic women, the beautiful
and brave Madame du Frenoy when
she was on board 3 polacre in the Med
iteFTanean, bound for Genoa. It was
daring the wild days Of Aleerine nj
rates, and coraair attacked the vessel.
The rover ranged alongside By means
Of his atrnnsly y-naannali- ..--esI.ss sss.-el
q hrnadaidR INTO tha polacre fhen,ens
ing the gfApneIss prepared to carr O.
vessel BY boarding, the pirate captain
leading his men and cutting down all
before him. The crew Of the polacre
made a stout resistance, because they
knew their fate II captured. But they
were largely outnumbered, and became
diaheartened, many Of them lying dead
or bleeding upon the deck. Il was q
very unequal contest and they were
about 70 give up when Madame du
Frenoy rushed out Of the cabin with q
pistol in her hand, and shot the leader
Of the pirates dead. Then seizing a
cutlass from dying sailor, she cut with
q vigorous arm right and left among the
corsairs, giving terrible wounds in their
faces and heads She seemed endowed
with suPerhuman strength, and the pi-
rates paused in utter amazement the
polacre crew rallied and drove the in
vaders from theirdeck. For tins heroic
act the Grand Master of the knights
Of Malta gave Madame du Frenoy a
splendid bracelet of diamonds and ru-
bies.
The Greek and Hungarian revoIu-
tions both had their examples Of female
heroism, each had its Maid Of Orleans
or Of Saragossa-indeed all history, an
cient or modern, teens with such to-
kens. Our own revolutionary annals
are illuminated by similar grand and
prominent figures Of women at the post
Of danger, and freely risking all in the
holiest Of causes. Even in the late
struggle between the North and the
South, many q field on both sides
showed the faithful wife, sister, or the
afEanced bride, habited like the sterner
ser, and fighting in the front rank of
battle. Female heroism has never been
wanting since the period when the
matrons of Britain hurled defiance at
Cesar's legions.