The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-05-22
of taking the s,ockade by surprise just for the

Captain kcynOluss OTohIcu laCc gre" P"''
II was his daughter who spokc-a brave young
thing, scarcely seventeen, whose lover was
one of those heroes who had risked their lives
to 90 To Lexington,
Lass. th0u art too forward answered the
commander, sternly. when the men lose
I their courage then the women can go and risk
their lives m
Others opposed the bold project Those
brave men had no heart to see Their wives ana
daughters shot down by skulklng sayages
They could venture their own lives, but they
could not permit the women and girls To rush
upon destruction.
/ But the idea of Deborah Reynolds was popu
lar vi her own sex. The older women spoke
/ IN favor OF it, and 80 many and such good rca
sons were urged in support of the undertaking
that Captain Reynolds and the men at last as
scented Ia the plan.
In order that there should hc no Partially
every woman in the stockadc able to GARY a
pail of water was To engage IN the periouS
TASK. 1t was also decided that they should
not rush ont IN a crowd, but should file along
/ hv tvos or thrccs, rs naturally rs possible, 50
/ rs 10 excite no suspicious among the Indians
. In order 10 run the faster if they had need,
| the women took of their shoes or mOCcaSlns
and went barctuotcd The strongest OF them
carred'twO pals, tut a large number took
only one.
Before the gate was opened the minister
knclt and prayed, and they all knclt strong,
rough men and pale, fair women, When they
arose there were tears in the eyes OF the OrOnIed
fronticr,mcn. and the faces OF the women were
pacr than ever, bat they looked very brave
and solemn.
Thcn there were hand-shakIngs and hurried
farcwcls said, tor none knew whether they
al Is
kissed his wife and daughter, and with brok
en- voice sand:
Look out for mother DcbbD. She's not so
spry as you are. Take good care of her and
may God save You all"
One by one, two by two, they began to sip
through the gateway and start for The spnng
Two of the strongest pioneers stood by The
gate TO close it If rush was made The rest
ui the men were gathered along the Stockade
at the pOrt-holeS each with Il loaded rifle near
him, besides the one he held IN his hands
ready TO fire on the savages If they offered TO
attack the women.
Some of the latter could not help glanclng
umidly toward the tall woods and thick IN.
dcrbrUsh, but most Of them walked carecssly
rs if they suspected nothing though their pale
faces and swiftly beating hearts told OF the
fear and suspense llcy were in.
Young Deborah Reynolds was the braycst
II th,m all. she whom the captain had asked
la guard hrr mother As they stepped out OF
the gate TIE heroic gIrl placed herself before
her older companion.
Don't 60 50, Dcbhy," said the mother,
walk behind M, then If the Indians fire they
will have 10 Kali me before they can hit you
no. told father | would look out for you,
and for his and the chlidrcn'S sakes you VIII
let me. replied Dcborah. Il should not bc
missed half so much n you
And 50 the brave young woman kept be.
tween her mother AMI The alyages, both going
and coming from the spring. \ glimpse of
rcd legs in the shrubbery and the CLINT OF "A
tomahawk when the sun shone upon it, did
not serve to make her more assured, but in Il
few minutes they were all back in the stock.
AIDE and not n shot had been fired
Some of the buckets were not very full 1t Is
true but the poor women did their best and it
was an heroic deed. In all history We know
of no more daring deed than the women OF
Bryant Station performed on the borders of the
western wilderness almost an hundred years
ago.
The Indians kept hid until night, when near
" "A thousand of them attacked the stoCkadc
hoping to surprise 1t. But they found the
garrison ready for them, and they were met so
rcsoluieiy and vigorously, that they had To fall
back, leaving many of their warriors dead and
wounded.
The next day the surrender of the fort was
demanded, but Il spirited refusal was returned,
and rs the savagcs had already experienced
the determined resistance OF the whites, they
molcstcd them no further, and stole away
through the great forest
Before the second night strong body OF
settlers from Lexington and adjacent settle
mrnts arrived at the stoCkadc, conducted by
the two brave men who had rode away the
previous morning for succor Bryant Station
was saved.
The little stOckalc fort is now large and
llourshng town in the midst of populous
and highly civilized region Many years have
passed since the last Indian left the spot, but
the visitor there will be told the story Of the
hcroism Of the Bryant Station women, and on
the outskirts of the town he will be shown Il
ruined cellar, above which stood the house
where brave Deborah Reynolds and her brave
husband lived for many wears, and where they
died more than forty years ago.