River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1893-02-02
A REVOLUTIONARY DAUGHTER.
She Sang Patriotic Ditty to Two English
Onicers.


Mrs Mercy wardwell, who recently
died in North Orland. Me, was the
daughter of William Hutehins, of the
town of Penobscot. Me-. the last sur
vivor. but one, of the revolutionary
soldiers. He died at Penobscot in Nav.
1865. aged nearly one hundred and two
years. Mrs. Wardwell'was about nine
ty-five years old. One sister, Mrs.
Charlotte Veazie, of Belfast, Me-, is the
only surviving child of the once nu-
merous William Hutchins family, and.
so far as the writer knows, the only
surviving child of Revolutionary sol
der.
Mrs Wardwell married Methodist.
clergyman, and became the mother of
large family of sons and daughters
Four of the sons entered the Methodist
ministry, one of whom subsequently, en-
listed as private in our late civil war
and was promoted to the chaplaincy of
the regiment lie died in the service
and was buried in the south.
She was noted in her childhood for
vivacity and bubbling with music.
and unfiinching courage in times who a
glish army and navy took possession of
the town of Castine, in 1914, Mrs.
Wardwell was then young girl at
home. Her fathers house was situated
about six miles from Castine village. on
the road to Bluehill. The English Off
GERS sometimes called at her fathers
house as they passed to and fro to their
duties.
On one occasion. two of them hav-
ing learned that little Mercy could
sing, importuned her for song. She
was very shy at first, but upon the
promise of silver dollar. which would
be fortune to her. she lightly sprang
upon the dining table. and, to the con-
sternation of the family, began one of
those almost amending patriotic ballads
of the day, in which the English came
in for some severe reflections and
tongue castigations.
The memories of the revolution had
not died out among the older people,
! and little Mercy stood where she could
see the spot where, thirtv-five years be-
fore, her grandfather's home was
burned by the English, while he with
his wife and eight children fed under
its glaring light to save his life for his
sturdy defense with his rifle.
Little Mercy's mother and her elder
sister attempted to stop her singing,
for they saw the brow of the younger
officer darken, and heard him mutter
what sounded like angry expressions,
but the elder officer laughed and said:
20, let her go on. like her courage"
She did go on till she had sung more
than fifty verses When the original
lacked appropriateness to the then
present circumstances she improviscd
with skill and daring that brought
out angry expressions from the Young
err officer, but laugh and "IIear,
heart" from the elder.
When she finished the elder officer
tossed to her silver dollar, at the
same time remarking: You're brave
little girl. If you were man we
should feel IL our duty to" but the
last part of this remark was not
spoken.
He was gentleman, and called upon
the family several times afterward, and
greeted little Mercy with n smile and
courteous bow Two of Mrs WIS
brothers were then in the American
army. and she took especial pains to
let the English know it.-Lewiston
Journal