Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-23
HAYTT'S AMAZONS.
The Ebony Damsels Whom Legitime
Has Enlisted In His Army.

From the New Orleans Pcayune.
The war in Haytl where the alleged rightful
ruler Legitime is being driven into his last
ditch by the alleged revolutionary leader Hip
polyte, has developed an interesting feature in
the drafting Of women into the army Of the
former. Legitime has been worsted on every
field and driven back until his domain is linn
tied pretty nearly to his capital city of Port
au-Prince. As his army has dwindled away
largely by desertion to the other faction. he
found himself without troops to man his forti-
fcations, for his city was long ago strongly
fortified by the Spaniards and French who held
it at different periods.
In this extremity Legitimo has hit upon the
plan Of filling up his depleted ranks with
women. There being surplus of the softer
sex IN the capital Of the negro republic, it has
been possible to enroll quite a number of these
ebony Amazons who are not embodied in ex-
elusive battalions Of their own sex, but are dis
tributed among the men. These women are
dressed in masculine costume and said to look
very much like negro youths Of the male per-
suasion.
The Haytian negroes where they have been
amalgamated with the native Caribs, have be-
come almost beardless. particularly when the
men are young, and hence these Haytian
amazons are said to be distinguishable from the
males. when all are standing in line together,
chiefly by the fact that the faces of the women
are more pleasing and less hard and brutal than
are those Of the men. Every person who has
seen our own fair amaZons on the stage or en-
gagged in a broom drill will have noticed that
in the peculiar conformation Of the sex the SUI
perior swell at the launches and the lesser
breadth of shoulders combine to exert special
effects upon the manual of arms.
When the guns are brought to o "carry."
being rested against the hip and upon the
shoulder. they do not stand erect but incline at
an angle towards the head Of the fair soldier.
Moreover, when the troops are aligned in
position OF the soldier" II is more easy for
them to touch hips than elbows as required by
the code, and should the time ever come when
the armies OF the white nations are to be made
up Of women, it is to be hoped, in the interest
OF grace and symmetry, that somebody will
design special arms and q manual for their
Use suited to the conformation OF the beau
tiful sex. When the masculine creature takes
up the trade Of q soldier he goes in for show
aud gets himself up as gorgeously as possible.
II we are to have hereafter an army Of amazons,
they should be made up altogether lovely.
Fortunately, the ancient style OF excision Of
the breast will not be perpetuated. That was
done to enable the fair warrior to draw the
bow to its utmost reach. Now. the drawing Of
the beaux il done in quite a different manner
as the ancient weapons of barbarian have all
been discarded.
But to return to the Haytians, those sable
MOL fltcueIs anu malus OF oaragOssa nave nov
yet done any fighting; but il they should be
driven to 1t they will probably display as much
bravery as women do In emergency. II
seems a brutal outrage to drive the softer sex
into battle, but IL we are to credit ancient ira
ditions, it has often been done, and in view OF
the fact that the entire civilized world il
accommodating q constantly increasing deficiency
OF men and q corresponding excess in the num-
Der OF women, 1t is not out Of the reach Of
possibility that the myths Of the old world
amazons may be realized IN fact a. time adj
vances. What has been will be again.