The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-30
WARRIOR WON EN-.
Feminine Delight OF Battle In Legend
and History.


To THE EDITOR or THE SuN-Sir. Many
woman suffragists say that when women
have the ballot war will cease.
Those VINO believe that the woman's
vote means International peace have never
read history or they would know that the
female portion OF the worlds population
has from earliest times shown warlike
propensities and keen patriotism when It's
nations have been engaged In combat
While It is true the female is the least
COmbative OF the sexes owing TO the pre-
ponderance OF physical force being with
the male, certain individual women or
groups OF women have actually engaged
In war, and the entire sex has cheered its
men to fight and bitterly hated its OPP
pouents NO true woman likes "A timld
man. and every female heart has a tender
spot Tor a warrior. fact appreciated By
the artistic Greeks IN the myth OF Venus
and Mars The Greek poets told many
tales OF the Anazous who met their fate
at the hands OF the Athenians to show
that while su<arior women may wage
war on inferior men, when the average OF
the sexes meet the male has the physical
advantage.
But II Is unnecessary 70 look back TO
the tales Of plutarch or Strabo TO md
warrior women. or TO delye into the mists
OF FAR antiqSty for a Boadlcea or a SEMI
ramis. We have shining examples In
juan VI NI' HtN INK L illNt lV6 q WI NilltN
King. Isabel Of Castle wrestling Spain
from the Moors; Mary Queen OF Scots
cheering her troops. Catharine S!gurua
saving Nice and La Grande MademOiselle
pointing the guns OF the Froude. More
humble types are found in Hannah Smell.
who, as private of infantry. fought In
the 40 under Cumberland and later with
Frazers Marines participated in the siege
Of Ponilcherry. Mary Anne Talbot. nat
ural daughter OF Baron Hensol. who as
drummer was wounded before Nalen-
C.ernes In 1894. Mother Ross who
served under william H. and Marlbor-
ough IN Flanders Deborah sampson. who
fought with the Continental troops
throughout the Revolution, and Loretta
Nalazquez. who wore Lieutenant's
shoulder straps in the Confederate army.
Aside from individual cases. there Is no
doubt that every war has had a certain
number Of Amazons in the field both as
spies and a. soldiers. and the history OF
Europe ahounds In such narratives In
Vulnerable women followed Peter the Her
NIT on his first crusade. and throughout
the Middle Ages every army had a large
number Of female camp followers, who
were often inclined 10 push into the fray
beside their masculine friends. spanish
women have shown a marked inclination
for war, and during that Of tho Succession
Barcelona was long defended by its women
before Berwick succeeded in entering It.
Again, during the French invasion. when
L.fehyre attacked Saragossa, the women
formed themselves into companies OF two
and three hundred and fought side by side
with the men under the celebrated Agos-
tina OF Saragossa.
Endeavoring to emulate their ancient
Germanic and Gallo mothers who fought
against the Roman legions, the French
women Of the Revolution formed them
selves into militant bodies and the danes
de Halle and the Faubourg St Antoine,
IN short petticoats, red Phrygan caps,
with pixies In hand. became conspicuous
In the early days Of the Terror, and the
Amazon of Llege,' grasping her lighted
match, astride her cannon, was dragged
by mob of demented women TO Yer
sailles when the royal family was forced
10 return TO Paris Women were also
prominent az the barricades during the
Commune, and many a murderous shot
was fred by womans hand from tine
windows OF the capital,
In all probability there were numerous
women engaged IN our civil war. espe-
cially in the gallant South During the
present Mexican anarchy and br!gandage
the brown women south of the Rio Grande
have followed their men by hundreds and
gone into the fight with rifles In their
hands The Boer women of the Trans
vaal fought beside their men in practi-
cally every battle OF both wars with Eng
land and won many laurels by their ex-
cellence In craftsmanship and bravery
There are battalions OF Chinese women
ready TO support the Celestial republic
II Is reported that female battalions are
being formed In Ireland 10 defend the
homes from invasion. Throughout the
Balkans women are preparing for mill
tary activities
Considering the attitude OF women to-
ward military events In the past. It Ii
difficult for the student OF history to be-
lleve that the sex Is united In It's oppo-
siton to war under all circumstances, and
that all women are peace lovers or that
woman suffrage would either prevent or
decrease military activity II is simply
another OF the utopian claims made by
suffraRsts which nothing in the past af-
fairs OF history gives cause TO believe in.
Mrs. ALBERT T. LEATHERBEE.
RosroN, August 30