Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-02-18
AUNTPATsY AND THpp o,.
ALEXANDER STEPHENS, A.c-
SAVED THE ROASTING asroA

Of Indians and Frightened r,,., a'at
the Corn rIe'd-Ths Carrie. ''es
Food aud Aunt Patsy Go. :. ''sd't
The first settlers Of Taliaferr.
took up lands along the two mat county IN 4
tho watershed between was corsil .'ven and
poor and sterile to Ne worth an ~ AZ to
cultivation, but as the richer ~, s to~afd
soon claimed it gradually cams a naas We're al
that the settlers were forced j ~ I. ~ degrees
upon the lands Of the wa,o. Duiia homs
even at that early time, was cs1lss 6hlh
ridge, on account Of the barrerna Pa
soil, ana which suggestive titla l. q tn
handed down TO the present day Ts bn
tiersmen were thus forced q 500, tne Iron
ridge tn be near enough to riva. e Up tn |
band together for mutual protac,;s ''''lers b
the depreciation of the prowlny I.', asaina
claimed the rich lands on the osI,a a"'ans who
oconee, and which finally led 70 ~ .ue q The
the Oconee. 'ue war Of
Among the families who livad
line dividing the lands of the ,vh,sT a'et The
dians was one NAMED Stepheps ,s ana h.
scendants have done so much for "aose Do
" eSHont GARlf7SDy -
Old Aunt Patsy Stephens was -,
thorough woman, well fitted to ha ~, Ih',irng,
OF sturdy frontiersman, and sha e wife
energetic that she always had her n'. was .
or patches OF corn and wheat wn ,a ne's
worked with her own hands after ~ .sa She
In the house were over. On ona uutld
when Aunt Patsy's twelve acre na,ot Evasion,
was full OF fine roasting ears. an ala. " orn
dams was raised and terror reignaa !, y 10
homes OF the settlers. Soon. bowava ~ lbs
OF action was formed, and stems vara pan
to carry it out. All the women al ..,, azen
with the horses and whatever valna, SIu'area,
be carried, were hurried down IN 4 Voad
Little river to place called Fort sn.is y
1t may be- and indeed now is, kno m"A
Quaker Springs, and located on lana Nh
by Messrs. Pope, of Wilkes. Hera ~ o"nea
stopped and hastily erected a fort an AZ ,. usn
ade, in which to leave the women a., ''k
dren, while the husbands and fathers ,a. snu,
their steps to dispute inch by inch tha ~
lends progress, and to drive them haS. 'a
die in defense Of their homes
The little garrison did very wei, so,
days, but then, to add to the horrors :, ~. NV
situation, the provisions began tn nm ,a
At last they were out, and still no td;nn.. wv.
the brave men who hal gone forth to 1 de,saa
them All day and all night thew str rsisi
every nerve. listening for their return H.
moon shone peacefully down upon the l,t,ls
band OF women who were trying 10 s,ill,a.
cries of their hungry children, No sonni
broke the stiffness of the night ou,s;do ~
cept the occasional boot of an owl who =.
indignant that such strangers should jnv.s.
his dominion.
AT last Aunt Patsy could bear the srsns,..
no longer
Get me fly" said She land III on md
see what has become of the men and 3, IT,.
III bring some food back here We capt
starve like rats in trap, and if the rej,kir,
have whipped out all our men. it is better !.
know it than lie here and wait for em n
come on down here on us, all penned up and
too weak to lift finger in defense. yo M
you needn't say world I'm a-gwinera sbs
replied III determined tones, as the frightened
women begged her not to leave them bn,
Aunt Patsy was determined-so ilnprovisir,
bride out of piece of chain and tgo
strips of hickory bark, she spread an ola
homemade rug on the back OF her sRuyr
and vaulting up, was out of sight in a mo-
mont, swallowed up in the gloom Of tangled
growth that lined the banks of the stream
AUNT PATsY's CHARGE
Heading bee line for home, Aunt Patsy
rode on, keeping sharp lookout for lurking
foes but to her great surprise she saw no
signs of Indians or of the white men Much
mystified, she still kept on, nor once drew
rein until she came near the clearing where
they had built their home. Still nearer, aud
she could see her own Louise still standing
She then dismounted, and drawing fortha
ball Of homespun thread she took Off her cot
ton apron, and dividing it into four parts she
proceeded to wrap piece around each foot
of the FLY, thus mufiiing the sound of feet N
the ground. She then remounted and started
for her twelve acre patch to fill her meal bag
full of the roasting ears for the starving gar
rison Lulled into "a feeling of safety by the
absence of hostile sight and sound, she was
thinking that maybe it had just been scare
and no more, when on looking over into bel
field of corn she saw ten or twelve indians
Staying her fine roasting ears. Taken BY
surprise, but never losing her presence Of
at full speed toward them, calling:
''Heres the redskins, boysl Here they 60
boys; shoot 'em Shoot 'em" and she fired
off her old gun once or twice as the Indians
fed in great haste toward the river, thinking
party of white men We're close after them
Aunt Patsy's ruse might not have worked
30 well had it been old Indians, but toe
braves being all away on the warpath, tns
party of young bucks had crossed the rlvef
Oconee and made raid on the deserted nes !
of the settlers, and but for Aunt Patsy they
might have burned down the last home mine
settlement, but receiving such fright 'nsy
hurriedly crossed the river into thelr own
reservation, while Aunt Patsy filled her SeA
and hurried back TO the family garrison VIII
welcomed her with tears of gratitude
Luckily, that night the men all came Oae',
having chased the Indians far down 'n'
river until they crossed over, when the wlils'
concluded they would return to the a'u,
fort on Little river, where they touna az
safe and well, thanks to Aunt Patsy anu W.
lilly. :,
This same Aunt Patsy is the anees'res@
our own much loved fellow towhsnlaf .Ds
hon. a. ii. stephens, Whose loi III ~ y, - IA
near his own loved home, Liberty nan aus,
over whose grave the town keeps lo''Ns AA'
vigilant watch. Ian.
Itwould seem incrt dible to our pc
generation of society bellies that "Ou.a.
could do the work that our ancestors as NE.
plished, but they lived an active ouVu'', .s s
often working hard in the ilelis WIN s~s
husbands, regarding the house duties a. + has
play, aud of u surety they were women " .hs,
presence cheered on our foreiathes' .r.
wellnigh breaking down under tnen asa
fold trials and hardships, but they su'Nss Ia
and our fair land, with its multltuue y
giant churches, schools and homes ''"I NOR
living monument of their courage aas fnr
severance. Charlottesville Cor, Atian'aS