The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-04-06
Sixth in Series of Articles
by BrattlebOrO Chap
ter, ID. A. r.
SOME HEROINES
OF BOTH PERIODS
Paper by Miss Lillian G. Newton
Woman's Sphere of Early Days Much
More Limited than at Present Time
Professions Want Women.

Women of the Revolution and Women
of Today is the title of a paper read
before Brattleboro chapter, Daughters of
the American Revolution, recently by
Miss Lillian c. Newton. 1t is published
herewith as No. 6 in the series of hstori-
cal pen sketches furnished by the chap
ter:
History speaks but vaguely and in
cidentally of the heroic actions of
women of the Revolution. Much of
the information is derived from
letters of friendship or affection
in possession of relatives or friends
of Revolutionary women whose pc
sition, personal sacrifices or 10y
atty have aided in promoting Amer
lean independence. In depicting fe-
male character one is often impressed
by the delicate traits of the individual,
which may be better felt than de-
scrbed.
Woman's sphere Of that long ago
time was much more limited or seclud-
ed and though she may have occupied
conspicuous position her personal his
tory throws but dim light on
her character. We may only speak
of individual instances of hero
ism bearing the impress of Rev
dictionary days, as indicating the
spirit of all, and to which we are
no less indebted for our national free
dom than to those who distinguished
themselves on the field of battle A
prominent Revolutionary officer wrote
in reply for information in regard to
the women of his state, 81 have never
known or read of one, no not one, who
did not owe his high standing or great
name to his mother s blood or his moth
er's training" OF this number are
such men as Washington, Jefferson,
Lord Bacon and Lincoln. How the in
luence of woman was estimated by
John Adams appears from letter writ
ten to his wife 81 believe the two
Howes have not very great women for
wives. If they had we should suffer
more from their. exertions than we do.
This is our good fortune. A smart
wife would have put Howe in posses
sion of Philadelphia a long time ago. =
Some of the herOines of the early
Revolutionary period were Molly Pitch
er. who loaded and fred cannon at the
battle of Monmouth, Ann Elliott
Callcu TOT DeE IdITlOJlC spirit the
beautiful REBEL Deborah Samson, who
fought three years in the Continental
army and after being wounded was
summoned to Washington and honor
ably discharged from service. The
Ouakeress Deborah Franklin was ban
ished from New York by the British
commandment for liberality in relieving
the sufferings of the American pris
oners Perhips one of the most re
markable women of the Revolutionar,
period was Mercy Otis Warren. Sh
is said to have supplied political par
ties with their arguments and was tn
first person who advised separation
from the mother country as the onl
way of ending the political difficultie
OF the day. One writer has said o
her, "Stldom has one woman in an
age acquired such an ascendancy owe
the strongest, by the mere force 0
powerful intellect, and her infiuene
confined through life From tn
life q Mrs. Warren can be had the his
tory # the Revolution. Another note
womfn of the times was Mrs. Abiga
Adams, wife of John Adams and motl
or John Quincy Adams. As Mr.
Adms 5 husband was much in publ
lif. she occupied herself with MAJ
aoment of her household and farm