Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-10-19
WOMAN,S PATRIOTISM.

a Brave Revn1n ionary Deed Bravely
i Emniatsd-Howa Lany Earned Her
Title 60 Her Oountry's Gratitude.
Philadelphia e q ,irer. s#5#
One Of the first acts Of the Govern.
mens during the approaching session of
copgre should be to make for the wild
ow of the late Elias Reed, Formerly OF
the Twelfth Pennsy lvania Cavalry, a
provision worthy Of the lady's claims
upon her country and the dignity Of the
Republic. While the country exists the
story Of Lydia Darrah maxim. her way
out of town to the Continental outposts
to warn the army of an intended attack
will be remembered. and though it per-
haps involved more persona: hardship,
it was certainly no tiner. AMI in its re-
suits of far less importance than the he
roic sacrifice of feeling which this lady
patriot offered IN the altar Of her coun-
try. Philadelphia aas had the honor
in this generation Of being the home of
two persons who we're deeply con-
cerncd with momentuous issues at a
time when the fate or the Republic
tremOi6u Ill the balance.
It was Admiral Mars,len. so long q
resident Of West Philadelphia, who
saved the Union feet and the harbors
of New Y ork and Philadelphia, by put
ting aside his orders and running the
risk OF being ca>hiered by Sending the
monitor to assault anu, as 1t proved, to
batter the Merrimac. Mrs. Susan K.
Reed by her promptness in uHn,asking
, f,,, ,Jt,o a ri
into Tho han is OF the FEEDER gene rails
the letters which led Meade and Ham
cock to move forth to meet Lee on the
field Of Gettysburg, when having, as he
supposed only the Philadelphia militia
in front Of him, he expected to winter.
like Howe, in the city OF Brotherly Love.
With Admiral Maroden IN the last
war, and Lydia Darran 10 the revolu.
ton, Mrs. Reed is entitled to rank in
the regard of her fellow citizens and it
will be disgrace to the republic ii con-
gress shall restrict its ackno wledgem~.
of her services to the niygardly pension
to which, both as the widow ola brave
soldier, who died of his wounds, and as
u recognition of her own services the
lady now has a legal claim; a claim, too,
which she never pressed while her own
means suMced, and which the pension
bureau has, it is said, been dilatory
about recognizing.
Mrs Reeds maiden name was Susan
K. Derrlnger. She was educated at the
Morav,an school at Bethlehem, Pa, and
MARI ed early in life to Mr.. Elias Reed,
grandson Of brother Of General Reed,
of Revolutionary lame, and consequent
" near relative of Hon. William B.
Reed, in his prime, as the reader need
scarcely be reminded. one Of the leading
lights Of the Pennsylvania bar. For
time all prospered with the new house
hold, and when eventually the clouds of
adversely darkened over her home, Mrs.
Reed met her altered fortunes with q
and energy OF which only ma
lures finely attuned to fine issues are
capable.
When her husband returned wound
ed from the war the lady. by her achvl-
ty and resolution, maintained for him,
herself aud their children the home
which his failing strength no longer
enabled him to support. Atthat peri
Cd her well-appointed house on SAMSON
street, near Eighth, was the home Of
many persons of distinction. Leading
lawyers, naval and military officers OF
note, and, many Of the dramatic
them, enjoyed tho Inequalities Of her
handsome rooms and the luxuries of her
bountifuIly furnished table. Her sons
inherited many of their mothers finest
traits Of character, and among them the
declining days Of the patriot father. who
really, though mercifuIly spared at first
the knowledge of the truth. had come
home to die were made as comfortable
and as free from care as it was possible
to render them. -
Strange TO say, his wounds st first did
not appear Serious, yet his system new
er rallied from the shock, and although
a physicians certificate attributed to the
death of Mr.. Reed, ON New Years day,
1874, to natural causes" it was a fact
susceptible of proof that he fell VIC
tim to his loyalty aud died martyr in
his country's cause. After his decease
Mrs. Reed took upon herself ia part the
management of store kept by one Of
her sons on Ninth street. above Arch,
and for sixteen years conducted the
business successfully, as indeed she
might still DO doing, since time does not
seem to have impaired her activity, but
for the effects Of the competition of
larger enterprises and greater capital,
which gradually drew away from her
store, as from so many others, the busi-
ness that year Of Industry had built up.
" These circumstances are mentioned to
show that it is time that the lady's emf
nent service to the natiou sh ,uld re.
ceiye national acknowledgement. The
history Of that service is briefly as fol-
lows: Lee had determined upon his
lost desperate attempt to detond the
south by carrying war and desolation to
the fresides of the north. Strangely
enough one Of the first persons to receive
Mrs. Reed. Her h nse, on Samson
street, was then in the full tide of sue
cess, and among those who hat made
young medical student, belonging to
sop1e means, which it is not now neces-
gentleman found its way to Mrs.. Reed,
said to her husband, "Mr. B-writes
to ask me to let him have his old room
when he arrives in Philadelphia. He
is an officer in Lees army. la sure
some movement is on foot having this
city for it's objective point"
The suspicious thus aroused were sin"
gulurly confirmed q few days later.
There came to Mrs. Reeds transient
boarder, an old friend, who seemed to
have plenty Of means, but whose goings
and cornings had for some time. been
mysterious. One day after dinner this
lady told Mrs. Reed that she was foolish
to waste her time taking in boarders
when she might make SO much more
money another way. In reply to re-
quest for an explanation Of the riddle,
this lady Displayed q cloak, the lining of
which was largely composed of Quinine,
remarkiDg that it was worth thousands
of dollars; aud then, from some myster-
teriosscrypt in her bonnet, drew forth
FIVE letters for which she said she