The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-02-29
NOBLE MARY DRAPER
STORY OF ONE OF THE WOMEN OF
REVOLUTIONARY DAYS.


Distressed Country Furnishing Food
and Clothing to Patriot Soldiers.
have searched everywhere to ascer-
| tain tho maiden namo and parentage Of
the woman who is, to my mind, tho
greatest heroine Of the Revolutionary
days, though, if objection is made to
this assertion. I could modify it by
Claiming that she was certainly the most
patriotic In the state Of Massachusetts
She was Mary Draper. wife Of Captain
Draper Of Dedham, Mass, married long
before the war, and with children we'll
grown up when the trouble began at
Lexington; therefore the seeming i'm
possibility of finding any history Of her
early life
Captain Draper was q thriving farm
er, and had always prospered, If one
could judge from his surroundings and
the manner Of living oarried on in his
family. His house and his barns were
large, and the latter were always filed
to their utmost capacity with the stores
for winter for his family and the dumb
animals which belonged to him.
Tho house was built with two large
ovens, either one Of them large enough
TO bake bread for the whole village.
when the news was heard Of the ex-
pected attack of the British upon our
patriots at Lexington, General Putnam,
IN Connecticut, was Mt work in his field
blowing. He left all and seized his
musket, and. not waiting to change his
apparel, marched on to Cambridge, call
ing on all he saw on his way to join in,
bring any weapons they had, and fol-
low without delay. Their route happen
ed to he tho road passing the homo of
tho Diapers in Dedham.
Men thought of nothing but liberty
and the safety Of their homes and fami-
lies They put their trust in the Lord,
and left all in the hands of Providence.
but struck with their right arms their
first blow for freedom ut this Lexington
fight. 1t may be judged such an oppor-
tunity as this would develop almost any
character and such benevolent woman
as Mary Draper would become q BRIGHT
and shining light.
AT the first call she exhorted her hus-
band to lose no time in preparing and
fastening to the scene of action. With
her own hands she bound knapsacl1 and
blanket to the shoulders of her only son.
boy Of 16 years, bidding him hasten to
do his duty and follow in the footsteps
of his father. Tho daughter entreated
the mother to allow him to remain and
protect them, but she answered, "No,
he must go, but you and 1, Kate, will
have enough to do to feed the hungry
who Will pass hero on their way before
tomorrow night.
Hundreds did come and were fed, and
passed on, only to be followed by hun
dreds more, who were NIL treated in the
same generous manner. Refreshed and
rested and encouraged to 90 on by Mary
Draper. they continued to pass along
this road that led by their home for sew
eral days, till order and discipline were
established.
Mary Draper, assisted by her daughter
and domestic in her family, spent the
whole day and night and following day
in baking brown bread. The two ovens
that have mentioned as being of I'M
usually large capacity were set in full
blast, and they never had been before so
pushed to their fullest extent, and 1
doubt if ever since. in such small
space or time.
With the help of disabled French
man, veteran Of the French war, who
had been given homo in the Draper
family for many years, Mary Draper had
| all the refreshments in readiness to offer
the weary patriots as they passed along.
| long wooden form was erected by the
roadside, large pans Of bread and cheese
We're placed upon it and replenished as
often as necessary. The old veteran
brought tubs which were filled full of
cider from their cellar, and it was served
out by two lads who volunteered their
services. Mrs. Draper presided at this
entertainment, and when her stock of
| provisions gave out, called upon her
| neighbors for contributions.
Her husband had purchased a bullet
mold to supply himself and son with
this article of warfare, and Mrs. Draper,
not satisfied with giving the pewter to
the general demand, some Of it the
| greatest ornament Of her old home. be-
gan herself to melt her platters, pans
and dishes and transform them into the
| required ammunition.
winter was now approaching and with
| 1t fears of the want of supplies for the
army. The country could scarcely yield
what was sure to be the demand made
upon it should the war continue. The
| calls upon private benevolence became
imperative and the question of clothing
for the patriots, who must spend the
winter III camp, was q very momentous
one. Mrs Draper was one of the first to
see this approaching difficulty, and be-
came deeply interested and the most
active In efforts to render all the aid in
her power and inspired her neighbors
to Go likewise. Her house had always