The Mineral argus., 1884-02-28
WOMAN'S PATRIOTISM.
A Brave Revolutionary Deed Bravely
Emulated-BOw a Lady Earned Her
Title 20 Her Country's Gratitude.

Title 20 Her COunCry's GRATITUDE.
Philadelphia Enquirer.
One of the first acts of the Govern
ment during the approaching session OF
congress should be to make for the wild
ow of the late Elias Reed, formerly OF
the Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry, a
provision worthy of the lady's claims
upon her country and the dignity of tie
Republic. While the country exists the
story of Lydia Oarrah making her way
out of townt to the Continental outposts
TO warn the army of an intended attack
will be remembered, and though it per
haps involved more personal hardship,
II was certainly nc finer and in its re-
suits of far less importance than the he
rojc sacrifice of feeling which this lady
patriot offered on the altar Of her coun-
try. Philadelphia has had the honor
ia this generation of being the home of
two persons who were deeply on
cerned with momentuous issues at a
time when the fate of the Republic
trembled in the balance.
II was Admiral Marsden, so long a
resident of West Philadelphia, who
saved the Union feet and the harbo.9
of New york and Philadelphia, by put.
ting aside his orders and running the
risk of being cashiered by sending the
monitor to assault and, as it proved, to
batter the Merrimac. Mrs. Susan K.
Reed by her promptness in unmasking
a female spy and blockade runner, threw
into the hands of the Federl generals
the letters which led Meade and Han
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 Marsden in the last
war, and Lydia Darrah in the revolu-
ton, Mrs. Reed is entitled to rank in
the regard of her fellow citizens and it
will be a disgrace to the republic if con-
gress shall restrict it's acknowledgement
Of her services to the ~niggardly pension
TO which, both as the widow of brave
soldier. who died of his wounds, and as
a recognition of her own services the
lady now has a legal claim a claim, too,
which she never pressed while her own
means suficed, and which the pension
bureau has, it is said, been dilatory
about recognizing.
Mrs. Reeds maiden name was Susan
X. Derringer. She was educated at the
Moravian school at Bethlehem, Pa, and
married early in life TO Mr.. Elias Reed,
grandson OF a brother of General Reed,
Of Revolutionary fame, and consequent
" a 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 a
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 a
courage 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 activi-
ty and resolution, maintained for him,
herself and their children the home
which his failing strength no longer
enabled him to support. At that peri
cd her well-appointed house OIL 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
stars ofthat day, JOSEPH Jefferson among
them, enjoyed the hU-. alities of her
handsome rooms and the iixuries OF her
beautifully furnished table. Her sons
inherited many of their mothers finest
traits of character, and among them tine
declining days of the patriot father, who
really, though mercifully spared at first
NlAG a tOhkC VI AlC kAuAAAs Ai6a NCAAC
home to die were made al comfortable
and as free from care as it was possible
to render them.
Strange to say, his wounds at first did
not appear serious, yet his system new
er rallied from the shock, and although
q 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 a vic
tim to his loyalty and died q martyr in
his country's cause. After his decease
Mrs. Reed took upon herself in part the
management of a 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 be 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, az from 80 many others, the busi-
ness that year of industry had built up.
These circumstances are mentioned 10
show that it is time that the lady's emf
nent service to the nation should re-
ceive national acknowledgement. The
history of that service is briefly as fol-
lows: Lee had determined upon his
last desperate attempt to defend the
south by carrying war and desolation to
the fresides of the north. Strangely
enough one ofthe first persons to receive
q hint of the intended movement was
Mrs. Reed. Her house, on Samson
street, was then in the full tide of sue
cess, and among those who had made
their homes there before the wa was a
young medical student, belonging to a
southern family of great wealth. BY
some means, which it is not now neces-