The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1884-12-03
She Held the Fort.


There were brave girls among the early
French colOnists Of Canada. One striking
instance isrelated Of Q mere child defending
. fort for seven days against asssulting saw
ages. In Edward Eggleston's recent historic
series the story is told az follows: ''One 0c-
tOber morning in 1892, the inhabitants OF
VeTcbeTes, q settlement twenty miles below
Montreal, we're in the field at work. There
we're but two soldiers within the fort. The
commander and his wife were absent. Their
daughter Madeleine, a girl of fourteen, stood
on the landing with hired man, when she
hessd firing.
run, mademoiselle! runl" cried the
man. Here comes the lroouoisP
Looking round. the girl saw the Indians
near at hand. She ran for the sort, and the
Indians, seeing they could not catch her,
fred at her. The bullets whistled round her,
and made the time seem very long, as she
afterwards said
'As soon as she neared the fort, che cried
out, To armsl 10 ermsp hoping that she
would get assistance. But the two soldiers
were so frightened that they had hidden IN
the block house.
When Madeleine reached the gate of the
fort, she found two women there crying for
their husbands, who were in the fields and
had Just been killed Madeleine forced
them in, and shut the gate. She instantly
vent 70 examine the defeDces OF the fort, and
. found that some of the palisades had fallen
down, leaving holes through which the enc
my could easily enter.
"She got what help she could and set them
up. Then the little commander repaired 70
the block-house, where she found the brave
garrison Of two, one man hiding in the corn
er, and the other with lighted match Ia his
hand
what are you going to do with that
malchT said Madeleine.
Light the powder aud blow Us ali up,'
You are q miserable covsrdP said the
girl. 60 ont Of this place.!
People are always likely to obey, in time
81 panic, the one person who shows reselu-
ton and GOODNESS. The soldier did az Made
)eine babe him. She then flung aside her
bonnet. pu. on hat and took q gun.
Her whole force consisted Of the above
mentioned soldiers, her two brothers, aged
ten and twelve, and an old man Of eighty
and some women and children, who did
nothing bus set up q continual screaming,
as soon as the firing commenced.
q Let rs fight TO the DEATH said brave
Madeleine to her little brothers, who seem
70 have possessed no small share OF her own
courage. We are fighting for our country
and our religion. Remember our father has
taught you that gentlemen are born 70 shed
their blood for the service Of God and the
king
Madeleine now placed her brothers and
the soldiers at the loop-holes, where they
fred at the Indians lurking and dodging
about outside. The ssvsges did not know
how large the garrison was, and therefore
besitated to attack the fort; and numbers of
them fell before the well-directed shots OF
the soldiers.
THE girl commander succeeded, after q
while, in stopping the screaming of the
women and children. for she was determined
the enemy should perceive no sign Of fear or
weakness she few from bastion to bastion
20 see that every defender was doing his
duty she caused q cannon to be fired from
time - time, partly 70 intimidate the saw
sges, and partly in hope that the noise nigh.