River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1893-01-19
THE TIGERS OF WAR.
Gov the Wariike smazons of Dahoney
Were Wiped Out.

Were Wiped Out.
The occupation of the Amazons is
gone. and those tigers of war" are ex-
,lusively engaged in nursing the
wounds they received from the French
soldiers during that last fatal battle in
Oahomey. Many of US will not ac-
1nowlede it, perhaps. but in our hearts
we have been rather sorry for these
women warriors who fought like de-
mons for their king. and who have
been such picturesque figures in vari-
)us tales of travel. But we were not
permitted TO indulge long in these senti-
mental reflections. The Amazons have
oeen ANONYMOUSLY defeated, and now
hat they are down the historian of the
press arises to assure us that they never
mounted TO much after all. and that
hey fought under the influence, not of
.oyalty, but of rum.
The Amazon ranks are recruited
from girls Of thirteen or fifteen years
IF age. who are trained in military ex-
s-cises. but not allowed to bear arms
until they have attained more mature
age. Women who have committed any
great crime find safe refuge from pun
shment by enlisting in this female
oody-guard. The recruits are subjected
% very severe training. which forti-
les them To endurance of all kinds of
hardship and physical pain. They are
compelled to sleep out of doors in all
xinds of weather. and to suffer blows
and kicks without a murmur, and are
often kept starving for days. Among
he hardships of the drill is the feature
IF scaling walls. For the purpose of
gaining proficiency in this exercise
.hese half naked women are
made 20 Chamber mp to the
.op of wall thiclSly covered
with thorns from prickly pears
and cacti. In addition to this the
ground is thiclxly strewn with broken
glass. and the ambitious recruits are al
ways terribly lacerated and covered
with blood, but after such drill a
complaint is an unhe frd-of offense.
Under these circumstances every wom-
inly sentiment is suppressed and the
Amazons become unscxed and unnatur-
Ally ferOcious.
In battle the Amazons fire rapidly for
few minutes. and then thrown down
their firearms. and. uttering terrific
CELLS and screams, charge the enemy
with their knives. With these they do
terrible execution. and even when shot
town and trampled under foot they
viii fight to the last gasp. stabbing
blindly at their assailants above, and
biting and tearing the legs of those
standing over them.
The French gained a vivid idea of
their ferocity in battle during the war
Of 1889. When under deadly fire from
the Notifications the Amazons made
charge after charge on the works
When at last put to flight the dying
furies seized several of the Frenchmen
by their legs and tried to stab them
with their swords. Before going into
battle the Amazons are given liberal
quantities of rum, which gives them
the frenzied fierceness and daring reck-
lessness which always mark their at
tacl<s.
The uniform of the Amazons is a
short, sleeveless tunic of Blue and
white goods of light mpterial. Their
shirts do reach their knees. and
these, with the short hair Turk
ish trousers and an almost jauntv
white cap or bonnet, Orna-
mented with horn tips, make their APP
pearance decidedly picturesque. Their
officers are distinguished by a lot of
silver amulets and bangles generally
covering the entire forearm. Their
weapons are Winchester repeating
rifles. old-fashioned blunderbusses,
bows and arrows. They all wear ear
fridge belts and curiously wrought
pouches, and carry long knives, with
which they mutilate the wounded in a
horrible manner.
1t is fortunate thing for the Anna
IONS that they can not read these last
tributes to their memory.-Chicago In
ter-Ocean.