The times., 1899-07-30
BATTLEFIELD HERoINEs.
Some Women Who Have Wen Medals
of War,

1
of War.
4 There are some highly interesting and
romantic incidents connected with the CIV
ing of medals TO women, either for con-
spicuols bravery on the battlefield, or or
ders of merit and distinction gained in a
mere peaceful but not less meritorious
manner. says the "Pittsburg Dispatch. In
France both sexes may now aspire to the
Cross of the Legion OF Honor. Upon its
foundation in 1902 it was decreed that
women should be excluded, but Napoleon
was induced to abrogate this rule, through
the remarkable bravery of a young girl,
who concealed her sex, and, enlisting in
the place of her sickly brother, distinguish
cd herself on the field of battle. Virginie
! Guesquire was finally discovered through a
wound she received as Sergeant" while
saving the life Of her colonel.
There were no investitures Of women
with the Legion of Honor from 1915 to 1852,
when Sister of Mercy received the Cross
of a Chevalier of the order. Everyone has
heard the story of the wonderful bravery
and presence OF mind of our own little ten
year-old compatriot, Jeanne Carey. OF
Muckford, H.; how she discovered that a
certain bridge was on fire and, hastily dof-
fling her little scarlet cape for a signal,
rushed forward and stopped the approach
ing train. which was full of passengers, on
| the way TO the Chicago Exposition, among
| them a number of French people. But.
perhaps, not everyone knows that the
French travellers. in gratitude to their
youthful preserver, notified their President,
NJ. Carnot, who decorated our little heroine
with the Cross OF the Legion of Honor in
recognition of her rare curage and as the
highest expression Of the nations graft
! tude. Among the possessors of this order
in France are some dozen Sisters OF Mercy.
| This great order devoted as it is to all ac-
tive works of charity, has always been
| foremost in sending nurses to the battle
| field, and the most remarkable of these,
perhaps, is Sister Maria Teresa, Superioress
of the Sisters of Mercy in Tonquin.
She was wounded at Balakiava, in the
| Crimean War, while attending the wound
| ed in battle, and also in the front of the
| line of battle before Magenta, in the Italian
War of 1853. She also nursed the soldiers
| in Syria, China, and Mexico. At the battle
/ of Worth, in the first week of the Franco
| German War, she was recovered wounded
from among a heap of dead cuirassiers.
On another occasion she picked up a
shell which had fallen into an ambulance
| in her charge and carried 1t away nearly
eighty yards, when it burst and severely
wounded her. Her decoration followed
later in Tonquin where she was nursing
the troops, the general in command per-
| forming the investiture in the presence OF
| the assembled army-a mark Of rare dis
tinction. Her story has been woven into
very pathetic and sweet romance by a
writer of today in THE History of the
Lady Betty Stair"
The cross CT the legion is not invariably
given, however, for deeds Of bravery or
services in war. Women have received 1t
for explorations, for art work, and in one
case-that of Nine. Furtado- Heine moth
er-in-law Of the reigning Prince OF Mon
aco-it was given for many acts of charity.
The Order of the Golden Rose which
was fUrm msrly conferred by the Supreme
Pcntif dpon Senators Of Rome. is now CIV
en- By him as a mark of the highest dis
tinction to women of royal blood only who
have distinguished themselves by great
piety and exemplary lives.
The Queen Regent of Spain is one of
the latest recipients. 1t is in the form OF
beautiful rose OF geld upon stem about
metre high, and is contained In a silver
receptacle, SO that IL cannot be worn as
an ordinary order at all and is regarded as
sho1piece. The stringent rules concern
ing the private life of individuals before
they can be eligible for reception into such
orders have rendered them less popular
now than in the Middle Ages. when the
liberty of the subject was more limited
than in later centuries.
The earliest order to be conferred upon
women exclusively is considered to be the
Order of the Torch" 1t was created in
114s at the Siege of Tortosa, by the Moors.
So hard pressed were the men that the
women also plunged into the fray, and
fought shoulder to shoulder with their
husbands brothers, and sweethearts.
Their courage shining like a torch
hence the name of the order. 1t is rather
surprising to ind that in Turkey, where
women have so few rights-according TO
our way of thinking-that, nevertheless,
there is an order founded exclusively for
women. Among the many distinguished
possessors of the order is a simple Turk
ish girl, who enlisted in the army Instead
of her brother, who was the sole support
of the family, and served three years with
distinction. 1t is a beautiful order, con-
sisting of a fve-point star borne upon a
golden wreath. In the centre of the star
is circular hand containing the words in
Turkish: Love of Man." Help" and
Charity" 1t has three classes.
The most recently founded order is the
Medal of Merit" founded by Queen Ma
talie, OF Servia. 1t was at first conferred
only upon those women who had nursed
or given other aid 10 the troops in the wars
OF 1S767-S 1t is given in gold or silver.
Great has been the devotion and bravery
shown by American nurses during the late
war, and it is possible that at no very dis
tant date the authorities may consider the
fttingness OF publicly recognizing their
bravery by comforting a medal or other
appropriate decoration; but, however that
may be, It is very certain that the memory
OF their noble devotion will never be suf-
l.
fresh in the hearts OF grateful nation.