Daily Republican., 1885-03-28
SHE HELD THE FORT.

There were brave girls among the
early French colonists OF Canada. One
striking instance Is related OF mere
child defending fort for seven days
against assaulting savages, In Edward
Eggleston's recent historic seriss the
story il told m follows Zone Octo-
Der moraing IN 1892, the Inhabitants Of
Veaeheres, a settlement twenty miles
below Montreal, were in the field at
work. There were but two soldiers
withia the fort. The commander and
bis wife we're absent. Their daughter
Mad eleine, q girl OF fourteen, stood on
the landing with hired man, when she
heard firing.
"'Run, mademoiselIe, run!" eriei
the man. Here come the IroquoIs
Looking ronpd, the girl saw the
Indi near at baud. She ran for tha
fort, and the Indians, seeing they
could not catch her, fired at her. The
bullets whistled round her, and made
the time seem very long as she after
wards said.
:" As soon az she uearsd tho fort,
she cried out, To nrms! to arms!
hoping that she would get assistance
But tie two soldiers were 30 frightened
that they had hidden in the block
house
When Madeline reached the gate
of the fort she found two women thore
crying for their husbands who were IN
the kelds and had just bseu killed.
Madeleine forced them in, aud shut tho
gate. She instantly went to examine
the defsnces OF the fort, and found that
some of the palisades had fallen down,
leaving holes through which the enemy
could easily enter.
She got what help she could and
set them up. Then the little command.
or repaired to the brave garrison of
two, one man hiding in the corner. and
the other with lighted match in his
hand.
a. What are you going to do with that
match?' said Madeleine.
"'Ligh. the powder, and blow us all
up said the soldier.
| 80 You are miserable coward! said
the girl. Go out OF this place!'
People are always likely to obey, In
| time Of panic, the one person who
shows resolution and GOODNESS. The
soldier did ~ Madeleine bade him.
She then flung aside her bonnet, put on
hat and took gun.
Her whole force consisted Of the
above mentioned soldiers, her two
brothers, aged 8 and II, and an old
man Of 8O-and some women and chill
dren, who did nothing but set up con.
tinual screaming, As soon as the firiug
commenced.
"sLet us fight to the DEATH said
brave Madeleine to her little brothers,
who seem to have possessed no small
share of her courage. I'VE are fighting
for our country and our religion. Re-
member our father has taught you that
gentlemen arc born to 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 fired at the Indians lurking aud
lodging about outside. The savages
did not know how large the garrison
was, and therefore hesitated to attack
the fort and numbers of them fell
before the well-directed shots of the
soldiers.
"The girl commander succeeded
after while in stopping the screaming
Il OF the women and children, for she was
determined the enemy should perceive
no sign of fear or weakness she flew
from bastion TO bastiop To see that every
defender was doing his duty; sh'
caused cannon to be Gred from tint
to time, partly to intmidate tn
savages and partly in hope that tn
noise might convey intelligence Of tn
stu ton, and bring them help.
"Thus the fight went on day afte
day and night after night, the heroi
, girl keeping up her vigilant exertion
] no constantly that it was forty -eigh
y hours before she caught wink Of SLEEP
ri For a whole week Madeleine he'll
the fort, with no favoring circumstance
+ but the stormy weather, which pr,
= vented the Indians from setting tire I
/. wooden defences. At the end of tina
8 time reinforcements came down til
river and raised the siege"