The Bessemer indicator., 1893-03-25

may have been going on within. and
looking steadily at the rutfian. she
answered: .'He could not have died
In n nobler cause
AT time when the failure Of am
munition began to be vexatiously felt
in the American army, supplies OF
war were secreted in hollow trees
and other such places. Tho amount
given to Colonel Bratton was con-
fided by him. during an occasional
absence, to the care of his wife; but
the circumstance being in some way
known, o detachment of the enemy
was sent to secure it.
Mrs. Bratton was made aware of
their near approach, and "immediatc
ly laid a train of powder from the de-
pot to the spot where she stood, and
when tho detachment came in sight,
set fire to the train and blew it up.
The explosion that greeted the ears
OF the foe informed them that the OBJ
jeot of their expedition was frus-
trated. The officer in command, ir-
ritated to fury, demanded who had
dared to perpotrate such an act, and
threatened instant and severe VEN
geunce upon the culprit. The intrepid
woman, answering for herself: 1T was
| who did it. Let the consequences
be what they will, glory in having
prevented the mischief contemplated
by the cruel enemies of my coun-
try"
A quiet, Notwithstanding house
in Philadelphia, inhabited by u
Quaker couple by the name of Dar-
ragh, was chosen by the British
officers as place for private confer
encc; and one evening of their meet
ing, the party in command exhibited
so much anxiety to get the family to
bed, that the alarm of the mistress,
Lydia Darragh, was excited. She
could not rest that night. She heard
in imagination sounds of feet from
the midnight council, and at length
getting up, she stole like II shadow
to the door of the room, and heard
the reading OF n paper containing the
plan of attack upon the American
army at the White Marsh on the next
day but one. She crcpt back to bed,
and knocking Mt her door soon an
nounced that her mysterious guests
We're departing.
She rose, shut up the house, and
collected her thoughts. Information
must be given to her coun.rymen of
the impending destruction; but by
whom? To employ her husband
would be to place him in imminent
jeopardy, and she determined to be
herself the messenger. Early the
next morning, taking an empty sack
with her for the ostensible purpose OF
procuring flour for her family, she
went to headquarters, obtained Gen
cral lIowe's written permission to
pass the British lines, and then walk
ing through the snow to Frankford,
deposited her sack at the mill She
then pressed forward toward the
American outposts, but luckily fall
ing in with an officer on the way, She
delivered her fateful tidings. Lydia
returned home with her sack of flour
the same day, and the bal1led British
never could imagine to whom they
owed this unfathomable trcachery.
Early in the war, Governor Rut-
ledge sent quantity OF arms and
ammunition to the house of Colonel
Thomas to be ready in case of any
emergency that might arise on the
frontier. These munitions wero under
the guard of twenty-five men, and
the house was prepared to resist as
sault. Colonel Thomas received in
formation that large party OF Tories
under the command of Colonel More,
of North Carolina, was advancing to
attack him. He and his guard deem
ing it inexpedient to risk force so
much superior to their own retired.
carrying as much ammunition as pos
sible. Josiah Culbertson, son-in-
low of Colonel Thomas, who was
with the little garrison, would not go
with the others and remained in the
house. Besides him and boy the
only inmates were women.
The Tories advanced and took up
their station, but the treasure was
not to be yielded to their demand.
Their call for admittancc was an
swered by an order to leave the prem
ises, and their fire was received with
out much injury by the logs of which
the house was built. Their fire was
quickly returned from tho upper
story, and proved much more effect
ual than that of the assailants. The
old-fashioncd ..batten" door, strongly
barricaded, resisted their efforts to
demolish it.
Meanwhile Culbcrtson continued to
fire, the guns being loaded as fast as
he discharged them by the ready
hands of Mrs. Thomas and her daugh-
ters, aided by her son William: and
this spirited resistance very shortly
convinced the enemy that further eff.
fort was useless. Believing that many
men were concealed in the house, and
apprehending n sally, their retreat
was made as rapidly us their wounds
would permit.
After waiting prudent time, and
accommodating as well as she could
from her position above. Mrs. Thomas
descended the stairs and opened the
doors. Tho powder thus preserved
constituted the principal supply for
Sumtcr's army in the battles of Rocky
Mount and Hanging Rock-Colonel
Henry lnman in the National Trib.
une.
When Were Steel Pens Iuvcntcls
All standard works of reference say;
"At about tho opening of the present
century pens were first made of
metal, or words to that effect. In