Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-03-13
= ABRATE GuRlI
She Saved Block House From the
af Indians.


Among all the incidents Of endur.
ance and pluck set forth in the an
nails Of our American history, perhaps
none more remarkable can be found
than that which is contained in some
very dusty pages to be read in quaint
French in q Paris library, or in
q transcription Of them by
one of our own historical authors
the Statement of Mile. Mag.
deleine de Vercheres,p aged ii
years daughter Of the commander of a
lonely French fort, called after her
father, which stood on the st. Law
renee River a score of miles below
Montreal. l.. rr-
It was the 22d of October, 1892.
The strong fort inclosure, stockade
and blockhouses were open, and the
residents were at work in the fields
at some distance. M. de Vercheres
was at Quebec on military business.
His wife (who was the heroine of an
other famous incident of those peril
Gus days) had gone to Quebec. In
the stockade were actually only two
soldiers, a couple of lads who we're
the young girls brothers, one very
aged man, and few women and
children. Magdeleine-or, as we
should now spell it, Madeleine, was
standing at a considerable distance
from the open gate of the fort with
a servant, little suspecting any dan
ger. .. .s.
All at once q rattle Of arms from
the direction where some of the ag-
riculturists were busy startled her.
1t was repeated. She began to see
men running in terror in the faraway
fields. At the same moment the
serving man besides her equally as
tonished, exclaimed: "Run. madam
oiselle, run; the Iroouois are upon
us !" The young girl looked where
he pointed, and lol a troop of some
forty or fifty Of the willy savages,
thinking to surprise the stockade
while their main band attacked those
who were outside, running toward
the gates, scarcely 100 yards from
where she stood trembling. There was
not an instant to lose. 1t was.life or
death for her and all. She fed to the
fort. The rest OF her story can large.
ly be quoted from Mile. MadeIelne's
own recitation, published at the time.
The Iroquois who chased me. see
ing that they could not catch me
alive before l reached the gate, stop
ped and fred at me. The bullets
whistled about my ears, and las she
says dryly) made the time seem very
long. AS soon as>I was near enough
to be heard, I cried out; "To arms;
to arms! hoping that somebody would
come out and help me but it was no
use. The two soldiers in the front
we're so terrified that they had hidden
within the block house. s.- -.
CAT the gate l found two women
crying for their husbands, who had
just been killed. I forced them to
go in and shut the gate. I next
thought what coul do to save N.Y.
self and the few people with me. l
went to inspect the fort, and found
that several palisades had fallen down
and left openings by which the enemy
could easily get in. ordered them
to be set up again, and helped to car
ry them myself" ~ gae VA aaa. I'll. (
1t may be asked how there was
sufficient time for this necessary work.
But it must be remembered that the
Indians seldom came directly to the
in daylight, ,dreading con-
cealed defenders greatly, and in the
present instance they were ignorant of
the singularly unprotected state of
this fort. So the brave little girl was
able to prepare for the worst with al
her wonderful presence of mind and
courage. She continues: - 10
When all the breaches we're stop
ped I went to the block house, where
the ammunition is kept, and here /
found the two soldiers one hiding in
q corner and the other with lighted
match in his hand, What are you 90.
ing to do with that match2' asked.
He answered, aSet off the powder and
blow us all upl,Y =, "You are a misera-
BILE coward" said I. "Go out of this
place!" / spoke so resolutely that hs
obeyed. l then threw of my bonnet,
and after putting on q hat and taking
a gun I said to my brothers: s'Let us
fight to the death. We are fighting
for our country and our religion.
Remember thatour father has taught,
you that gentlemen are born to she'd
their blood for ther service OF God
and the King" sgri b!a3y 5sorIta4. adi
Getting her little company together
in the stockade and discovering the
Iroquois moving about the fields, and
either pursuing the unfortunate men
and women in them, \ or else
discussing the best means Of ad-
vancing, Madeleine began firing at
them from various loopholes, and di-
rected q cannon 10 be discharged to
deter them from coming nearer, and
at the same time to spread the alarm
~ n