The times., 1898-07-31
WOMEN SOLDIERS.
A Joan of Arc in Brazil and Jose
pbine RizaI in the Philippines.

(From the New York SUM-
The spirit of the AmazOns does not sur
vive only in the women warriors of Da-
honey. The Sun recently published a
story about women who enlisted and
fought in the civil war; and other coun-
tries, also, have their women soldiers.
The Cubans have had several women
soldiers. VINO could ride and shoot and
use a machete; and the mos romantic
figure in the recent Brazilian rebellions
was Maria Barbosa. who. with swocd
and crucifx in hand led the rebels
against the government troops The
story goes that this modern Joan OF Arc
fell asleep in a church one day and saw
a vision which commanded her TO lead
her townSmen against the government
post of Bon Jardin- She gathered a band
of followers who believed in her revela-
tion captured Ben Jardin. where many
of the citizens joined her forces, and
went on TO Sac JoaO where she took lie
town and killed hundreds of republicans
Her beauty and ferocious courage made
her the idol of her followers.
Ancsher women warrior of ,day is Jo-
sephine Rial one of the leaders of the
rebellion against Spain IN the Philippines.
She was married at twenty. and when
she had been a bride for only one hour
her husband was executed before her
eyes by the Spanish. The deed aroused
widespread excitement. and WIS one cf
the causes that led to The assdssinat ton
of Canovas. the Spanish prime minister.
The frenz:ed young woman swore that
she would avenge her husbands muir
der and that Spanish lives by the score
should pay for his life. She went to
Aguinaldo at rebel headquarters and re-
quested permission to enter the ranks.
which was granted. ard from the first
she fought with reckless dash and cour-
age that made her conspicuous in every
engagement At last she fell into the hands
of Gen. Primo de Rivera. who, in recog-
milton of her bravery released her. Later
fhe reper&ed his chivalrous generosity.
and Spanish soldiers were sent to follow
and capture her, but through the warn
ing and assistance of friends she es-
capped to Hong Kong.
The Graeco-Turkish war also had it's
heroine Greek woman who melted the
natives of her province to revolt and led
them in a number of their skirmishes.
During the Tai Ping rebellion in China
in 1870 an army of women was command
ed by women officers.
Earlier centuries furnish still more ex
amples of the woman soldier. and the
records of Europe cite striking examples
of womans hero:sm in battle. Rose La
combe. the actress, and the beautiful
Theorigne de Mericourt were consp-cu-
Gus figures in the battles of the French
revolution. and Renee Bordereau, the he
roine of the Vendee, Tough. in mere than
200 battles. Forty-two members of her
family were killed in the revolution, and
her father was cut down by her side. In
one encounter al a bridge she resisted
and defeated with her own hand twenty
one of her enemies. Napoleon so feared
the zeal and influence of La Bordereau
that when lie subdued the Vendee he
refused to pardon her and threw her into
prison; but she was released after the fail
of the empire.
Another French woman. Mary Schel-
enck. fought in the armies of Napoleon,
and so signally distinguished herself on
the field of Austerlitz that Napoleon dec