The evening times., 1898-05-23
BRAVE WOMEN
ON FRONTIERS
Typ,s of Female Heroism in
Country's EARLY History.
Osdeals OF WV es and; Mothers Of the
Days When Courage and Bravery
Were SURPRISING Grandeuru.

In the Chicago Post. pioneering To-Day
in any remote and unsettled portion OF
this land may effect the same result
But there can be no parallel now to the
dangerous and distressing situations of
the early days when In the unbroken. will
derness in which roamed wild beasts and
savages, with limited supply Of tools
and without machinery. all the necessi-
ties of existence were obtained not only
by laborious toll but at the risk of life
The trials and anxfeties of motherhood
were greatly increased in addition to
those which were common to all inhabi-
tants In the Autumn of I7ss little col
ony left New Jersey and settled In the
then far northwest, miles above the
site of Cincinnati. Mary Dunlevy and her
husband were members of this pioneer
company. The arduous labors of her hus-
band during the first Winter and Spring
caused a hemorrhage of the lungs, from
the effect Of which he never recovered,
and resulted in his death In less than two
years.
Mary was left in the midst of a will
derness surrounded by foes and wild
beasts, with two little children and no
relative to protect her, but her courage
and resolution did not fail her under her
accumulated trials. She was urged to
take up her residence in the fort, as the
only way she could be safe from the fire.
quent assaults of savages. But in her
sorrow she preferred solitude to the So
ciety of rough soldiers in the garrison.
She fixed a bed in the small cellar that
was made under every cabin floor where
vegetables might be kept secure from
frost. Every night she lifted a piece of
the timber that made the floor and plac-
ed the children in the bed. As soon as
they were asleep the puncheon was laid
down and the mother * her position
where she could see the ians when ap-
preaching at a consi cradle distance.
Here she would sit during the whole
night, engaged in the hours of wakeful-
ness in knitting or such housework as
could be performed without any other
light than from smothered embers not
permitted to give out any blaze. When
the younger child required nursing she
would lift the puncheon and sit on the
open floor till 1t was lulled to sleep then
deposit II once more in the secret bed
and close the floor over 1t. Her plan was
that should the Indians attack one door
she would escape by the opposite one
to the fort. give the alarm and bring the
men to rescue her children before the foe
could discover their hiding place.
The Indians were often seen by her
prowling about the little village. and on
several occasions they came to the door
of her cabin. but finding its barred, did
not attempt to force an entrance, while
from other parts of the settlement prop
erty was stolen and prisoners taken. and
one or two individuals were shot in close
vicinity TO the fort.
Ann Bailey, sometimes called Mad
Ann is a name familiar TO the old inhab-
itants of Gallipoiis Ohio, not long ago.
Her husband was killed in a battle with
the Indians. She was determined to have
revenge and became possessed of this
spirit She abandoned all feminine occu-
pations. dressed in a hunting shirt and
moccasins. wearing knife and tomahawk
and carrying a gun. She practiced with
the rifle, sung the tomahawk and rode
about the country attending every muster
of soldiers. Ann Bailey at last followed
a body of soldiers sent to garrison a fort
on the Great Kanawha.. where Charleston
is located. She frequently acted as mes
senger and carried letters from the fort
to Point Pleasant. Information came to
the commander of the garrison that
hundred or more Indian warriors had
been seeen some ten miles below All
the inhabitants around were gathered into
the fort At this crisis it was discovered
that their ammunition was nearly eX-
hausted. 1t was determined to send at
once to Camp WILSON. now Lewisburg,
for a supply. but men could not be spared
from the fort. and none was willing to
encounter with a small party the perils
of a hundred miles journey through a
trackless forest. 1-7
Mrs. Bailey heard of the difficulty and
instantly offered her services. saying she
would go alone. Her acquaintance with
the country. her excellent horsemanship.
her perseverance and fearless spirit were
well known. and the commander of the
garrison at length yielded to her solicta-
ton. A good horse was furnished her
with a stock of jerked venison and john
nycake. She proceeded resolutely over
coming every obstacle in the rugged
ness of the way through the woods. the
mountains she had to cross and the rivers
to swim. undaunted by the threatening
perils of wild beasts and parties of In
dams. and reached Camp Union in safety.
delivered her orders, and. being provided
with a led horse freely laden, as well as
her own. set forward on her return. Her
trail was followed for hours together by
wolves watching for an opportunity to
attack her horses.
When night set In she was compelled
to make large fires to keep wild beasts
at bay. To protect herself in slumber
from the danger of rattlesnakes and cop
perheads, which infested the wilderness.
she had to construct a bedstead every
night of sticks and boughs. Then she
would sleep. amid the bowling of wolves,
the screaming of, panthers and the buzz
zing of troublesome insects. At the
break of day she replaced the loads on
the horses and resumed her journey. eat
ing her simple breakfast on horseback.
She arrived in safety with her supplies
at the fort. 1t is said that the premedi-
tated attack was made the very next
day. and that the Indians were repuIsed
after a severe conflict Mrs. Bailey
participated in the siege, and always in
sisted that she killed one Indian, at least.
and thus accomplished her revenge. The
commandant has been heard to say that
the fort could not have been saved with
out the timely supply of ammunition,
thus giving credit to Mrs, Bailey's un-
paralleled exploit. Her ifk was prolong-
ed several years over a century. She
died in 1870.
Mrs. Mary Mcmillan was among the
early settlers of the eastern part of
Michigan. In 1918 she was living on the
Canadian side in small house on the
banks of the Thames. Mcmillan had
left his family to enter into active mill
tary service, and their home was two
miles distant from the nearest neigh
bor.' The country had been kept In a
continual state OF arlarm by marauding
parties OF Indians. who did not hesitate
to kill and capture as well. as rob the
defenseless settlers. One day Mrs. Nc
MILAN, having heard rumors Of the ap-
proach of hostile party. and being ap-
prehensfve of a sudden attack. took her
infant and walked to the nearest house
In search of information.
There she was startled with the intellf-
gence that savages had been seen In the
vicinity, and that they had gone in the
direction of her dwelling. She hastened
homeward with her unconscious babe. As
she came near all was silence. and when