The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-03-04
A FEMININE PATRIOT.
Some Brave Things Done by Widow knee
land for the Sake of the Flag.

A FEMININE PAL RlOl.
Some Brave Things Done by Widow Knee
land for the Sake of the Flag.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: At the
corner of Nineteenth street and Central
avenue. in "Grace Hill," suburban resi-
dence section adjoining Kansas City, Kan,
and in the home of Rev. c. W. Backus,
D. d., a veteran of the war of the rebellion,
lives a widow IS years old, of New England
origin, who actively aided the Union troops
in Eastern Tennessee at the risk of her own
life.
Mary B. Austin was born in Oxford
County, Me-, in the town of Canton,
Jan. 1, 1929. As many as six Governors
and other prominent men have distinguished
Oxford County, Me-, as the place OF their
birth. Among them such men as lsrael
washburn. Governor of Maine; John Is.
Long Governor of Massachusetts,; Lafayette
Grover. Governor of Oregon. and brother of
Gen. Culver Grover Cadwallader Wash
burn, Governor of Wisconsin; Sebastian
Marble, Governor of Maine; Sidney Per-
ham. Governor of Maine, and others.
The life of Mrs. Lynch, formerly Mary b.
Austin, from the same County, shows that
some of the women of that County deserve
to be enrolled among its distinguished men
and patriots.
Living in her Maine home, she was
wooed and won by ]. w. Kneeland, whose
father had served in the State Legislature
16 years.
Mr.. Kneeland took his bride, 90 years old,
to Eastern Tennessee TO Rogersville, Haw-
kins County. Here her husband died IN
September, 1855, and she was living there,
known as the widow kneeland, when the
war broke out.
Up to the time Burnsides army came
there, that part of Tennessee was overrun
by the Confcderates from over the Cumber-
land Mountains 10 Knoxville.
The women were very loyal, and not
afraid to show it in the face of the Con-
federate army. Here il was that Mrs. John
Williams ran up the Stars and Stripes, and
when the Confederates ordered her to take
them down, she refused, declaring:
"That is the flag of my country, and 1
will put bullet through the first man that
takes it down." They knew she meant
what she said, aud the flag continued to fly.
After Burnside came into East Tennessee,
in 1863. Mrs. Kneeland had an opportunity
to show her LOYALTY to the Union cause,
both in caring for our sick and wounoed
soldiers. nursing them back to life and
health. and hiding them when pursued by
the enemy, and helping them to escape
They knew her house, and when sorely
pressed sought its friendly shelter and the
woods about it, where she would bring them
food until the way was clear to help them
over the river into the Union lines; and
she was. at times, herself the bearer of i'm
portant messages and information to the
Union officers.
On one such occasion the rebs ordered her
arrest when she returned TO her home. She
had been with information to Knoxville TO
Gen. Samuel Carter: had ridden horseback
to Messy Creek, and from there went by
rail. The rebel pickets controlled the main
road, so she followed the hog-paths through
the mountains.
Gen. Vaughn was sent to her home to
arrest her. She was advised what to ex-
pect being met by an old man, Conied-
crate, who begged her to 90 back to the
Union lines; but she said no, and continued
on to her home
When Gen. Vaughn told her his mission
she replied: ARREST me, if you will; but
Gen. Carter says if you do he will arrest
three of the most prominent Confederate
women at Rogersvile, among them Mrs.
Col. Haskell"
Mrs. Kneeland had some good old wine in
the house and ordered the maid to serve it
freely, until Gen. Vaughn and his two Aids
were mellowed into a good humor, and
after pleasant visit they took counsel of
their discretion and bid her good-day, say
ing it was impossible for them to arrest a
lady who had treated them SO Hospitality.
After the battle of Rogersville, in which
the Union troops were worsted, the Confed-
crates permitted the Union ladies to take
care of the wounded Union soldiers. Two
young men were assigned TO Mrs. Kneeland
and she nursed and fed them for weeks
One of these when well, she helped to es
cape. but the other was taken from her be-
fore he was well enough to escape, and
from all she could learn afterwards he must
have died in Libby Prison.
She wrote his friends in the North and
advised them Of his whereabouts but doe.
not think they ever succeeded in reaching
him. She said they were handsome and
bright young boys in their teens, and from
the first she made up her mind she would
get them well and rescue them if sh,
could. The one whose escape she secured
she hid until the opportunity offered, and
then dressed him up in woman's clothes, ant
after dark accompanied him through tn,
town and woods to a point where by ap
pointment Jim Lane, the noted guide, me
her and took the soldier in charge and owe
the mountains into Kentucky. The othe
boys ankle was broken, so be could not 90
One night after fight, in which tn
Union troops were worsted, about o'ciocl
In the morning, Widow Kneeland heard
knock at the door. She went to the doc
and asked who was there. A voice an
swered, Lieut.. Allen. She knew who
was, and let him in. He said he had bee
cut of from Capt. Phillips's battery (Ohis
Col. Garrard's command, and the rebels wer
pressing him hard. He had with hin
another Union soldier.
They wanted her to hide them in til
woods, and look after them and help theI
TO escape. This she did, carrying them foo
until she could arrange to have them AXE
over the river into the Union lines
This Lieut. Alien was a son of Mr. ALE,
of Ohio, who was afterwards Consul {
Cuba. and took his son with him as Priva
Secretary.
Such are the heroic deeds in which oil
patriotic women along the borders were e.
gagged. They deserve all honor. The
served their country as effectively in this W:
as if they were enlisted soldiers. They d
serve TO be pensioned in their old age. MI
Lynch is earning living as nurse in Il
family Of DIR. Backus, and while she is We
cared for there she is growing old and feeb
and ought to be lifted above the necessi
ofself-support
She is o woman of marked intelligen
and broad reading and acquaintance. s.
has outlived many of those she helped al