St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-10-18
Dhe Ga1edunia,1.
A BRAVE VERMONT GIRL,
And How She Defeated Six British Sol


A BRAVE VERMONT GIRL,
diers.
Written for the OaEedonian bv Henry Little.
The Caledonian of September IL con-
tanned an interesting story of Revolu-
tionary times, which related how Anne
Randolph by her bravery and persis-
tent efforts regained possession of her
lost COW. now beg leave 10 present
another good story of revolutionary
times, which in very many respects
was similar to and equally as novel
and comically amusing as the above
story.
A certain New England farmer had
a daughter Mary to whom he made a
present of young heifer calf which
who plentifully fed it with all the
choice kinds of food and so fondly car
ed for it that strong attachment ex-
listed between Mary and her pet. Mary
frequently gave her calf salt which she
pulverized by pounding in a small
wooden hand mortar while out in the
fields. The calf would always come to
her when it heard the sound of that
mortar, however far away it might be.
Therefore, instead of going to the dis
tant pasture for the cows at night,
Mary simply went to the first gate
where she pounded in her mortar, and
her heifer was sure to come, and all
the other cattle were sure to follow for
they had also learned where salt came
from.
Mary's parents were Quakers. They
were opposed to war and refused to
contribute any thing whatever towards
defraying the expenses of the war.
Mary lived near the bank of river
across which she happened to be look
ing at a certain time, when on the OPP
posite bank of the river she beheld
that her fathers herd of cattle, includ-
ing her heifer, were being driven away
by the tax collector. Here was an I'M
pleasant dilemma to contemplate.
Mary had anticipated a world of en-
ioyment with her red heifer, then two
years old, and of more Importance to
her than the American and British
causes combined. But, meanwhile, her
highly priced treasure was rapidly
passing farther and farther away.
Something must be done and that
quickly. There was no time to spend
in moralizing upon the rights or
wrongs of the war, or the right to tax
Quakers.
Mary was apparently unable to effect
anything. She could not cross the riv-
er or take the cattle away from those
drivers even if she could overtake
them The members of the family
were all gone and she was there alone,
there was not time for her to run to
the neighbors for help. There was ev
identity one and only alternative left,
and that was the little wooden salt
mortar, which fascinating charm had
always been effectual with her cattle.
She therefore brought it out, and be-
gan vigorous pounding with its
pestle. The sound thereof, waited
over the river and away into the dim
distance, reached her heifer, which
answered with a hearty lOW-lOw low
ing, turned about, and with elevated
head and tail was instantly making
rapid progress towards home and the
mortar, and all the other cattle were
following that heifer. That was real
becrazed, enchanted stampede, which
those drivers were us unable to con-
troll as if it were Il herd of wild buffalo
or Kansas tornado. On, on those
cattle went with resistless speed, until
they were once more clustered around
and receiving the caresses of their de-
lighted little friend. Thus a girl of
twelve years old with small wooden
salt mortar had gained splendid vic
tory over half dozen full grown men.
Many years after that occurrence
Mary saw the leader of that gang and
he told her that he had wanted to
shoot her for rObbing him of his booty.
Mary finally became a woman and was
married to Mr.. Hinsdell and they
raised four children, two sons and two
daughters, with all of whom was we'll
acquainted. Mitchell Hinsdell, the old
est child, was lawyer of some promi-
hence in Hinesburg, VT, with whom
his mother lived after her husband
died. Judge Mitchell Hinsdell and fam
lily, including his mother, removed
from Hinesburg to Michigan some
more than fifty years ago and occupied
a part of my house nearly one year. 1t
was there and then that good old
grandmother Hinsdell gave me an ac-
count of that amusing affair. That
venerable lady was a grand specimen
of the good old-school persuasion of
New England.
Mitchell Hinsdell, with others from
Hinesburg, was in the battle at Platts-
burg, which took place Sunday, Sept.
ii, 1914. That was very thick,
cloudy day. AS there was a gentle
breeze from the west l was able to dis
tinctly hear the continued boom, boom
of the cannon, while | was in the open
field i'll Danville, about two and half
miles west of st. Johnsbury plain.
Kalamazoo, Oct. 9th, '80.