The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1900-08-03
YOUNG PAreIors.
:hildren's Part In the War OF tn
Revolution.

:hildren's Part in the War OF the
Revolution.
BY Mrs. Janvier LeDuc, Regent Ut the
Colonial Danes and Lecturer on
| American History
Children played an important part in
he war for independence.
The first martyr to the cause Of lib
rty was little Boston boy. and In the
losing scene at Yorktown slight form
stepped forward-a lad of 19--and re-
:eived the fallen British standard
Through the struggle in Rhode Island
wo young girls. whose husbands were
With the army, performed all the labor
m the farm, taking their babies with
hem to the field. Dorcas Matteson pill
owed hers in the grass. while Emma
Aldrich Graded hers in the bough Of q
rec.
Wodman says that during the attack
m Fort Montgomery. in October, It'll.
aebecca Rase. 2 years Of age. flew to
,ave her stock OF rag dolls. which she
lid in a maple sugar trough. regardless
II the balls which screamed all around
Ter.
We have all heard Of the horrible
.trocities Of the Indians. A little boy
n Vermont climbed into the great
chimney when his family fled from the
vhooping savages. They made a roar
ng fire, and he came tumbling down
Upon the hearth-a suffocated corpse.
Boys and girls seem to have been
he same one hundred years ago as
hey are now. They were active at the
Boston massacre and in the burning OF
.Higies in South Carolina. The streets
warmed with them. They had to be
aiken into account by friends and foes.
When Ethan Allen set forth to thrash
he Tory printer. Rivington, of New
York, who had been abusing the patri-
its in his paper, crowd of boys gath
.red around the tall figure in furnished
.egimentals and loudly cheered the
aero. But no fight came off. and the
disappointed boys were disguised with
Allen.
A boy was at the head Of the mob in
.77s. Those too young to bear arms
'ound ways to show their zeal for lib
.rty. They worked in the trenches.
hey drove their teams when fortifica-
ions were built. they acted as scouts.
One Of the best accounts Of our army
IN Dorchester Heights was written by
Jeremiah Baier, but II years old. who
ended his fathers horses through that
light Of anxiety, when the British at
Jack was expected.
When Barrett was leading his minute
men to meet the British at Concord his
grandson, IA years old, was marching
With the village lads to remove the
powder the kings troops had come to
capture.
Just as Fort Montgomery surrendered
10 the British assault. Beverly Car
rison, boy Of IA, was. teaming can
1on to the outworks. He refused to
cave his team and was captured.
When the British held Rhode Island
he inhabitants suffered greatly from
he plundering enemy. At last the boys
Ill along the shore formed into COM
oanies to protect their parents prop
.rty. They acted with great bravery.
although the eldest of them was only
sixteen.
At the British descent upon Connec-
lieut. the Yale College boys turned out
n full force. led by Aaron Burr.
! In the meantime the girls did service
Is scouts and spies. When the war was
:arried into the southern states 1t be-
zane unusually bitter. for it was q
war between neighbors and families.
Tory feeling was strong: while the
,oyal army was near many concealed
themselves in the swamps. and then
the girls were of service. They carried
food to their fathers. often going to
them at night, always at the risk Of
their own lives. and Of betraying the
hiding places Of their dear ones.
When De Plat was imprisoned in
New York his daughter was 80 persist
INT in her pleadings with Sir Henry
Clinton. that he was glad to release his
captive.
A Connecticut mother sent all Of her
sons. the youngest but IA. He soon re-
turned. as he had no musket. She said:
/ go back, and take gun from the
anemyw
Hundreds OF, boys enlisted at H.. A
large part Of the force at Bunker Hill
were mere lads. and one-third Of the
heroic defenders Of Fort Mifin were
under l6. "a