San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-07-26
A YOUNG TENNESSEE HEROINE.
Riding "a Horse Into the River to Save
Her Brother from Death.

Her Brother from Death.
Near G~ainsboro occUrred an incident the
story of which reads more like a romance
than truth, yet it is voUched for by Judge
Fite, one If Tennessee's most distinguished
j~urists. 1t was while the angry Cumberland
was in his most violent mood, when the swift
flowing waters were at their highest, that
brave Mica Hall, a frail young girl of ID
years, performed an act of heroism which
should emblazon her name high upon the
scroll of fame.
Mica's brother, Conner Hall, and another
young man, both aged about is, were in a
canoe catching drifGwood i'll the middle of
the stream. The weather was intensely cold
and both young men had on their heavy over
coats and heavy underclothes. Suddenly the
canoe was upset and both boys were thrown
into the stream. The current at this point is
very swift and the canoe quickly went TO the
bottom of the river. The brave young fell
lows began to struggle desperately TO save
themselves, but the heavy clothing weighted
them down SO hat they could make little
Roadway against the angry waters which
bore them swiftly down stream.
Some distance down the river is a small
island, which was covered at the time by
about four or five feet of water. Young
Halls companion landed against this island
and managed by the most desperate efforts
to maintain his position upon it.
Poor Conner, however, was not so fortunate.
In his efforts to escape he continued to float
farther and farther away About 300 yards
from where his companion lodged Conner
Heated against a tree top, and chung to il
with a desperation born of despair.
All this time young Halls mother and l5-
year-old sister, Mica, were standing at the
edge of tine water several hundred yards
from where he had lodged. They were. in
truth, at the edge of a great sheet of water
which had backed up from the river. The
frenzied mother saw the desperate struggle
of her son to save himself, and, wringing her
hands in grief at the thought of his meeting
death in the bosom Of the angry river, was
almost ready to plunge into the water and
make an effort to reach him.
Then it was, in the supreme hour of peril,
that the heroic young girl ran back to the
barn and secured a horse. SEEING hold Of
the halter she pulled him down to the edge OF
the water, and, tearing off her clothing.
jumped upon the back of the animal with the
words, Ma, I'll save Bud, or die, " and plunged
lllO the ICY waters. fdT GOWN the SUfedll IeI
fast firing brother chung to the tree top, the
agonized mother expecting every moment to
see him sink into the river, never to rise again.
Mica urged the trembling animal forward
until he struck deep water, where it was with
the greatest effort the shivering girl could
keep his head straight toward the boy.
The waters surged and splashed against the
brave r~escuers, and every III seemed an
age. 1t last the tree was reached, ard just as
Conner was becoming unconscious he was
seized by his heroic sister, pulled upon the
back of the horse, and the battle for life be-
gan. The horse struggled desperately, but
tine poor girl held tenaciously to his name.
and, with one arm around the semi-cOn-
scious boy, finally managed to reach the bank
far below where size had started in. Once
safely upon terra firma, she gave way under
the terrible strain, and it was several hours
before she was able to recite the story of her
brave deed to the assembled n%eighbors.
The other young man was rescued by a party
of men, and Mica Hall is the heroine of the
Upper Cumberland Nashville American.