The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-01-13
Southern Women In the War.

Soon after the war actually began and
the advance on Bull Run was made,
many of the southern women showed
their mettle. Some time before the
battle was Joined General j. E. B.
Stuart, commanding the cavalry, was
very anxious to obtain certain informa-
ton as to the position of several federal
brigades. He was acquainted with a
highly educated, quiet and refined young
lady of Fairfax Court House, and he
doubtless had discovered that she was
possessed of great nerve and spirit, and
of an enthusiastic devotion to the cause
of the South. He managed to get note
to her, requesting her to obtain such
information as she could, little think
ing that she would not only obtain it,
but bring it herself, instead of sending
a messenger. His surprise was great,
then, to see her ride into his head
quarters, on the eve of the battle, thor
oughly posted as to what he wanted to
know. She had undergone much hard
ship and danger, having been shot at
many times in running the gauntlet of
the pickets, but she bravely persevered
until her mission was accomplished.
In recognition of her bravery and in
telligence, Stuart commissioned her as
lieutenant and aide-de-camp on his staff,
and this appointment was actually
eminent. Miss F. was perhaps the
only female commissioned officer in
either army. This lady was afterward
captured and locked up for many
months in the old capital prison, l
think, and, after her release, truth com
pels the statement that, in the latter
days of the war, she was married to a
federal major, then and now promi-
nent and wealthy citizen of the city of
Washington. OF Belle Boyd, the we'll
known confederate spy, l need only to
refer to here, but if her adventures
were written out they would read like
romance, and would show that her serv-
ices at one time were simply invalu-
able to the cause she espoused. She is
now staid matron, quietly residing in
her Texas home, and resOlutely shuns
the notoriety she acquired in time of
war. Mrs. GreenhOw, too, was famous
confederate secret agent, and she had
as much nerve and daring as any man
living. While running the blockade at
Wilmington, n. c., as bearer of dis
patches to England, in the third year of
the war, the steamer was sunk by
shot from federal gunboat, and Mrs.
Greenhow was among the drowned.
Her loss was a severe blow to the con-
federate authorities, particularly at the
time it occurred. | have heard soldiers
of the Army of the West speak enthusi-
astically of an incident well-known in
/ hot | Ol1ri n of Ennara1
B. Forests campaigns in Tennessee he
was anxious to beat strong force of
the enemy which was posted and en-
trenched on the opposite bank of a
deep stream, the bridge over which was
the objective point. Forrest brought
up his artillery and charged again and
again with his dismounted cavalry, but
his every attack was bloodily repulsed
Toward nightfall, in final desperate
charge, Colonel Forrest, the brother of
the general, fell dead at the head of his
command. General Forrest, who was
most tenderly attached to his brother,
was maddened by his death, and re-
solved to whip the enemy or lose his
command. He selected picked squad
ron and single piece of artillery, and
directing the remainder of his command
to skirmish briskly, to hold the enemy
at the bridge, he moved off to find a
ford, but he could get no information
Of one. Finally, he inquired at a farm
house, and young lady inmate told
him of ford some miles away. There
were no men about the house and For
rest asked the young lady (whose name
| have forgotten) if she was afraid to
guide him thither. She replied promptly
in the negative, and, despite the plead
ings of her widowed mother, she sprang
up behind Forrest, and, after hard
ride, showed him a place where he could
safely cross his gun. While winding
along the river bank the command was
several times under heavy fire, and
several of the officers and men were
killed and wounded, but the girl never
tlinched. She was sent safely home
under escort, and, as a consequence of
her pluck, Forrest was enabled to strike
the flank of the enemy at daybreak and
to route them completely. After the
war was over and Forrest had some
what recovered his fallen fortunes he
sent the little heroine handsome aud
valuable testimonial of his respect and
admiration.-Mrray, in Washington
Republican.