Daily camera., 1897-12-22
1.-THE PRETTY SERGEANT"
Deeds of VaIor Performed by a French
Heroine.

Heroine.
The story of Virginia Ghesqulere, the
French heroine, who was decorated
with the Order OF the Legion of Honor
for distinguished bravery during one
of the campaigns of the French army
in Spain, is graphically told by Emile
Cere in his history of Madame Sans
Gene ct Les Fcmmes Sodats."
In the conscription of 1906 a young
man by the name Of Ghesquiere wasen-
listed among the forced recruits OF the
department of the Haut-Rhin. The
bcardless conscript was frail and deli
/ cate, utterly unable to bear the fatigues
and hardships of war. Realizing the
physical incapacity of her twin brother,
| whom she very closely resembled, the
| brave and unselfish sister, Virginia, de-
cded to take his place in. the ranks.
| With the courage Of q high and noble
motive, Virginia Ghesquiere begged her
parents to allow her to do for France
what her brothers i'll health rendered
it impossible for him to do, and so ear
nestly did the young patriot plead that
she won their consent.
Donring her brothers apparel, the
intrepid girl presented herself at the
department on the following day, and
was assigned to the Invent
regiment by the unsuspecting officer
whose duty it was to enroll the re-
! tcruitS.
| For six years the brave young woman
preserved her disguise, and during this
/ period was several times rewarded for
gallant conduct. At Wagram the
"prctty sergeant" as the modest, eff
, misunderstanding young soldier was
generally called, had the honor of say
ing the life of the colonel Of the regi-
ment. who had fallen into the Danube,
and would have perished but for her
efforts.
On the I'd of May, 1908, after the bat
tie of Lisbon, the "pretty sergeant
performed deed of valor that won for
her the decoration of the Legion Of
Horror.
The girl soldier, who was now ser
geant Of company of riHemen, per-
ceived at short distance from the field
Of battle the figure Of the colonel Of the
regiment lying under the body Of his
dead horse. Turning to two comrades,
she said: 'Thc body of colonel is
| flag that belongs to the regiment, and
/ the Twenty-sevcnth will retake it.
As she spoke she advanced toward
the PROSTATE officer, followed by two
soldiers Her comrades, both weak
from less of blood, were unable to reach
the goal, SO that the burden of the affair
fell upon her slender shoulders.
On reaching the spot she found i
impossible to lift the heavy body of the
fallen officer. tug and struggle as she
might. She was now, moreover, besc.
by two struggling English soldiers.
Seized by a sort of frenzy at this cow
ardly interruption Of a Inerciful deed,
the little sergeant fired at one CT her as
sailants, wounding him in the shoulder,
and then disabled the other by vigor-
Gus blows from her gunstock.
Both Britons surrendered, and as
sisted her in placing the officer, who
still breathcd, upon a horse which had
straycd near. Compelling the English
men to allow themselves to be attached
to the horses tail, the 'pretty sergeant
made a triumphal entry into camp,
and was soon after made a chcyalier
Of the legion.
One cf the most singular circu11
stances of this curious history is that
after the wars were over the woman
who had won renown on the battle field
and public recognition from the en-
pire chose to return to her native prov
iEce, and resumed there the old, simple,
tranquil domestic life of her childhood.
Virginia Ghesquerc died in 1855, bat
her memory viii always live among the
inhabitants of Delemont, who from one
generation to another will tell their
childrcn's children the story Of the girl
soldier who served France SO heroically
for her brothers sake.-Youth's Com
panion.