The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1896-02-07
!. AMERICAN JEANNE D'ARc.
...,od As . Soldier Through the Revo-
tionary War. s

AN AMERICAN oI "S
...,.d ss q soldier Through the Revc
~ ~ tionary War.
.,,rt 1. miles from Boston, on TIN
IA Concord, stands q fine old house
IOs sro,,uded by beautifully kept farm
~. ~ the back of this old-time man
M, !, magnificent pine grove, from
hi the place takes it's name: Pine
800 farm" Here live the descendants
III american Jeanne dare, Deborah
S.mnson by name,whose history, taken
s ssom the genealogy Of the Sampson
..u,ilv is unique and thrilling.
mi. revolutionary maid, left to the
~ Of strangers at a tender age, with
-. mind far ahead Of her time and class
All she was 20 did the farm drudgery
ssouiredof abound girl"-feeding the
,,;as and chickens and milking the
re She had passion for reading,
INIT little opportunity to indulge in it.
AZ gained enough knowledge, how
AVER to teach a public school in Middle
horo where the curriculum was COM
Used in 1.-THE New England Primer"
! spelling-book, the psalter and 9 New
Testament.
The repeated invasions Of popular
,,ehts on the part Of King George and
III minister's made a strong impression
n Deborah SIMPSONS mind. She
drank deep OF the fountain OF patriot
4 inspiration that fell from the lips
Il the fiery Otis, the devoted Warren
srd the dauntless Adams. Her blood
le.ped as she heard the news Of the
Boston tea party. Then came Lexing-
ton and Bunker Hill-and one fine SUM
,uer morning the scholars in the little
Middleboro schoolhouse found their
teacher gone. She had spun herself
/ suit Of mems clothes, taken the name
II Fuller and run away to the wars.
The girl was mustered into the serv-
ice at Worcester and in company with
4 large number of recruits marched to
jcin the army at West Point. There
ahe was placed in Capt. Webb's COM
Many Of light infantry, in Col. Shep-
herds regiment and Gen. Patterson's
brigade. Here her civilian suit was ex-
changed for the continental uniform.
In her first experience on the field
the attack of theenemy was unexpected
and furious, and q man at her side was
shot dead. However, she suffered less
from her fear than from fatigue, thirst
and the heart Of the day. She served
ID the French army under Count
Spchambeau- all told by her in vivid
terms participated in the march
II the whole allied army under Wash
ington to protect New York, resulting
IN the siege of Yorktown. These ex-
pcsures brought on a severe cold, to-
gether with exhaustion and blistered
hands. Her delicate appearance and
having no beard was often noticed, and
she was called the ssmock-faced boy"
but her sex was never suspected. She
went through three campaigns sharing
in all the hardships and was twice
wounded.
At last being overtaken with malig-
hant fever, and being brought to the
verge Of death, the attending physician
that the "brave laddie" was
woman, but he sacredly guarded the
'ecret save to the matron, who had her
removed to her own apartments and
aursed with the greatest care.
On her departure for camp after this
Illness, for the purpose of being dis
'harged, the doctor wrote a letter to
len. Patterson, disclosing the secret.
Inc general, who had had the young
voman as aid-de-camp on his staff, was
realty astonished, but treated her
nth utmost kindness, giving her an
honorable discharge. Miss Sampson
vas granted pension. On returning
ome she did not Immediately make
erself known among her relatives, but
length resumed female apparel and
mployments. In a few months she
as married and became the wife Of
cnJamin Gannett of Sharon, and lived
rear family of three children.
AT the age of 81 she died at her home
sharon, where she had sustained the
iaracter OF an exemplary wife and
as well as a gallant and devoted
'1lot.-N. X. Mail and Express
An Economical Entertainment.
SET the table with a nicely Numbered
otn; put in the middle a vase; fill 1t