Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-04-05
A WAR HEROINE.
sow n. }. uoUsroS AIuEp HER.
tstta'i,cd tor per pa,riotism-Truo story
Ui the 1iri whom simon Cameron
Thought fbil. sheridan should

Thought rbil. sheridan should
marry.
W. w. Grtcst, one Of tho editors of the
Lancaster Inquirer, has notably interest,"
ing article III to days Times on Miss
RHbccca Wright, the woman who gave
information that led to tho capture Of
Winchester and whom Simon Cameron
thought Phil Sheridan ought to marry.
During Shcridau's command in the Valley
OF Virginia IN 1884 she communicated
valuable information u him of the rebel
movements, which decided Sheridan to
attack early. Four days later Winchester
was again in the possession of the Union
troops, tho rebels had been sent wbirliug
up the valley" and Sheridan had himself
thanked tho plucky Quaker girl whose
loyalty had made possible victory that
virtually broke tho backbone of rebel
resistance in that fertile valley, so long
the storehouso of Southern supplies. Mr..
Greist thus tells tho story of her sub; equent
recognition
Sheridan did not forget his fair bene-
tactress in tho distressing times that fol
lowed. The hungry rebel hordes had
prctty we'll depleted the resources of mau
aud soil in the immediate vicinity of
| Winchester and far up aud down the
beautiful pike that for many year prior
10 tine wal had maintained its pro.
emineuce among Americas most magnii
cent highways, pillage and devastation had
followed IN the tracks of Confederate aud
Union troops alike. Indeed, | was told
by the old gentleman who is the local
historian of the town aud the country
thereabouts, that the contendiug forces
marched in and out of Winchester
Thirty seven different times during
the four years they ravagod and
dcspuiled the fair valley, beneath
whose now gradually reiuvenating soil
5000 Of them sleep their last sleep. 1t is
not difficult, therefore, to imagine tho
privatious that the poor people of that
country endured. And Rachel Wright
ana her daughter Rebeoca soon found that
their subsistence must depend upon the
gratitude of the general to whom they had
rendered such signal service. AS soon as
Sheridan learned of their circumstance he
issued orders for their immediate relief,
one of which, still preserved among the
papers of Major Griest, OF this city, who
was then issuing cOmmissary on Sheridlu's &
staff. is as follows:
CAPTAIN GRIEsT Give Miss Wright ali
the fresh beet she needs.
Il. Ii. SHERIDAN,
Major General.
After the war had closed Sheridan
lulNAEA tAiiNhS Ills kiAbllluc bN lltStul-
ing her with handsome gold watch aud
chain.
Patriotism Rewarded win Ustracism.
The fact Of this presentation became
known aud the causes that led to it soon
leaked out. As result Miss Wright and
her mother we're socially ostracised by the
people of Winchester their boarding
house was tabooed, their means of liveli
hood disappeared and they were reduced
to even greater distress than during the
war. About this time Mr.. Robert j.
| Houston, of this city, heard of
Miss Wright's story through Mr.. James
Van Ormer,a Winchester merchant, " hose
wife was Lancaster county woman
The account of Miss Wright's heroism
during the war aud the condition she was
now reduced to by reason of her devotion
TO the union in 1868 actuated Mr.. Houston
TO endeavor to lay her case before Thad
deus Stevens in Washington. The old
cOmmOner however, was even then on his
| death bed and Mr.. Houston tiually ap-
preached Senator Simon Cameron, stated
to him Miss Wright's case and suggested
| that he should secure her pension.
la reply Senator Cameron said to Mr..
Houston "No, | don't think | could
get her a pension and anyhow | am op
| posed to granting pensions to civilians.
| There were numberless loyal Southern
people who gave us information during
| the war. Even when | was secretary of
| war hundreds OF these Southern uuionists
sent us intelligence of great value they
| did IL every day their claims for pension
would be equally strong with that OF Miss
| Wright.
" But there ought to be something done
| for her. Sheridan ought TO marry her and
| III tell him 50, too. lie is all powerful
with this administration aud he could get
her a clerkship ss easily as not. You
leave this matter with me, continued Mr..
| Cameron, d" aud when Sheridan gets back
to Washington I'll lay tho matter before
| him aud between us we'll see what can be
done" Mr.. Houston then left having, as
no says, "no faith in Cameron's promises
aud thinking he only wanted to get rid oi
me-" Six months afterwards Van OrmeI
again visited Lancaster county. Meeting
| Houston he said I" want TO thank you
for securing that Miss Wright clerkship.'
1t then transpired that within six weeks
after the Houston Cameron interview the
heroine of Winchester was installed as Q
clerk in the treasury department of the
government she had so nobly served.
Her Marriage and subsequent Lite.
The salary Miss Wright received wa,
not an eXtravagaut one, but it suficed "a
procure for herself aud mother, who has
since died in Missouri, a comfortable
living. Soon an intimacy developed
between her and a young Quaker named
Bonsall. Marriage followed, she resigning
her clerkship, and they settled in the
vicinity OF Rising Sun, Cecil county, Md,
where no was born and raised. There
they lived happily until financial
| diatrasa ouartnnk Mr. Rnnaall Than hiI
energetic wife again secured the clerkshiI
she had resigned, and which she holds u
this day. Those who saw Mrs. Bonsall a
the reception recently rendered her by tht
Grand Army Posts Of Philadelphia eoulc
easily believe that she is q woman of firm
ness and decision Of character but il
would be more difficult to convince then
that a score of years ago. when fraterna
blood was reddening the sod of Virginia
ambrosal vale and Sheridan was just en-
tering upon campaign that would make
his name immortal, this Quaker woman
had only reached the twenty. second yea
of her age. However, time has touches
her not urgently, and whether or not sh
is entitled TO the pension General Sher
idan speaks of, she is, If may be permit
ted to paraphrase the famous fighter
remark quoted at the opening of this art;
Gle, at least entitled. damn it, to tn
respect and gratitude of all who love tn
Union"
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