The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-06-01

UP " q INQUEST llttlG WITH hOnSS gas 49,
highway. and not far from the burning
upon the steps in front Of the dwellins
he accosted her. and inquired II there
creek ahovs or below the destroyed
bridge which his men could use.
This was Emma SAMSON. who was born
IN Social Circle. Ca. ip 1Sa7. and who
Cherokee che keen couSsy in issa Her father had
died in 1859. she had a brother who was
a soldier In the Confederate Army. She
and her sister lived alone with their
n On this memoraSse morning In May as
she stood in animated converse with
General Forrest. 1t was scene for
painter. The young Southern girl. her
Slowing gsdf e' her mother. attracted BY the
presence of the troops, standing in the
door gazing over her venerable spec,
tacles; the great leader with eager ana
determined his staff drawn up around
him. and his veterans nearby In groups.
some actually nodding in their saddles
from sheer exhaustion! After few
the young girl il she would not mount
behind him and show him the ford.
Turning to her mother she saw that the
delicacy of the prudent parents was OPP
but forming her own resolution. she
jumped on the roots of fallen tree.
General Forrest drew his horse near. she
sprans behind him. grasping. him about
was a difficult one. even for practiced
rider like General Forrest, but his guide
held her seat without the slightest evil
dence of fear. Drawing near the ford the
the Yankee sharpshooters. sprinGing
from tree to tree, and suddenly an angry
mimic whistled bv his ear. The density
Of the undersrowth finally compelled
his horse. The girl then started out
ahead, saying that the Yankees would
not FIRE on her. and they might fire II
he went first. To this he objected. de-
himself behind her that she was guide.
not a shield. The ford was presently dis
covered and they returned In safety.
General Forrest then brought up his
crossed his whole column.
On the morning of the next day. Col
onel Streight surrendered, and thus ended
one of the most remarkable cavalry pur-
suits and captures known In military
annals.
And herein lies the value and signifi-
canoe OF the heroic conduct of Emma
SAMSON. and which makes 1t enduring and
GOODNESS, under circumstances which
would have paralyzed the faculties Of
most women. enabled Forrest to over
come very formidable obstacle in his
DurSulL OF 6lTttknt, anu kdlAcQ AOI
at least three hours in time inestimabls
in value, since it enabled him to over.
take. and compel his surrender almost
within sight Of Rome" CWyeth)
lature Of Alabama adopted series Of
joint resolutions donating her section
of land and gold medal lin considera.
ton of public services rendered by her.
ately written at the time by grave legis-
iatorS, will bear recital:
"A nations history is not complete
which does not record the names ana
heroes. and revolutions sometimes throw
the two in such close proximity that the
history of the manly bearing Of the one
is imperfect unless coupled with the more
of the other. and such must ever be the
history Of the most gallant and success
full victory of the intrepid Forrest. unless
embeilished with the name and heroic
Upon discovering the difficulties which
embarrassed the advance OF our brave
army in pursuit of a Yankee raid under
| the head of Colonel Streight, produced by
eas nea4 be res Stss q hsr %
| in Cherokee (now Etowah) county. EN-
ma SAMSON. inspired with love of coun-
| try, Indignant at Yankee insolence, and
| of pursuing force. exaltipg herself
| above the fears Of her nature and the
| timidity of her SEX with a maiden 6
modesty and more than worran's cour-
and in the face Of an enemy's fire. and
| amid the lannon's roar. safely conducted
| our gallant forces by circuitous route
| to an easy and safe crossing, ana left
which resulted in a complete and brill
liant victory to our arms within the con-
| fines of our own State. By her courage,
| her patriotism, her DEVOTION to our
h,, AkA r,tth 10
she has rendered. she has secured to
herself the admiration, esteem and graft
tude OF our people. ana a place In MS
presented to Miss SAMSON by Hon. Thorn
| as B. Cooper of Cherokee. Hon. Burwell
T. Pope, of st. Clair, responded for her.
The ceremony took place at Turkeytown:
a large concourse Of people. The lands
were surveyed and a portion sold for
Confederate scrip. which soon lost all
value, while the adverse issue OF the
struggle caused the loss of the medal and
the other portion Of the lands" Drew
err In further recognition of the debt
Of gratitude due her. the Legislature of
Alabama in 1899 passed an act In which
she was donated six hundred and forty
acres Of land. In 1864 Miss SAMSON mar
ried C. B. Johnson, of the 10th Alabama
Regiment. in 1879 they removed to Texas.
and In 1887 her husband died, leaving her
gust 2. 1900, at Galloway, Texas, she
passed Ito where beyond these voices
there is peace. leaving a name which
will finger long in history.
This heroic incident has been the sub
ject of song and story. and Is but cali
ing your attention to facts perfectly IA
miliar to refer to the earnest and per-
sistent efforts OF Hon. John w. A. San
ford, who has honored you with his pres
ence during these exercises. to secure
change in the design Of the Great Seal
of Alabama, so that one 'commemora,
might be adopted The details Of his
proposed design are the figure of an
OFFICER on horseback. fully armed. and
a young woman seated behind him. with
her left hand pointing forward, and the
legend I will show you the way;
General Forrest to her as "a woman
worthy of being remembered by her coun-
trymen as long as courage Is deemed a
virtue" And in the text of his immortal
work he declares that as long as the
fame of Nathan Bedford Forrest shall
last among men-and it mus, endure for
ever-coupled with 1t In artless woman
hood and heroic pose will be the name
| of Emma SAMSON"
Now that | have passed In hurried re-
view the dramatic incidents in the life OF
| one woman whom we now PEDESTAL In
hope Of perpetual memory. | must not
| close until / give you the wider applica'
| ton of the lesson of her life. This por-
| trait stands not only in perpetuation Of
an incident OF 1868, hut 1t stands as wei
| for the embodiment of the collective as
| piration and appreciation OF the womer
| Of Alabama of 1902.
| It Is said that woman's heroism Is re
served for revolutions. Therefore. We
| find the epic period of our history tn,
four tragic years from 1861 to 1865, filled