Noble Deeds of American Women: With Biographical Sketches of Some of the More Prominent
History
Noble Deeds of American Women: With Biographical Sketches of Some of the More Prominent
Women -- United States -- Biography
On the morning of July thirtieth, 1770, Esther Gaston, afterwards the
wife of Alexander Walker, hearing the firing at the battle of Rocky
Mount, took with her a sister-in-law, and, well mounted, pushed on
towards the scene of conflict. They soon met two or three cowardly men,
hastening from the field of action. Esther hailed and rebuked them, and
finding entreaties would not cause them to retrace their steps, she
seized the gun from the hands of one of them, exclaiming, "Give _us_
your guns, then, and we will stand in your places." The cowards,
abashed, now wheeled, and, in company with the females, hurried on to
face the cannon's mouth.
While the strife was still raging, Esther and her companion busied
themselves in dressing the wounded and quenching the thirst of the
dying. Even their helpless enemies shared in their humane services.
During the battle of Hanging Rock, which occurred the next week, Esther
might be seen at Waxhaw church, which was converted for the time into a
hospital, administering to the wants of the wounded.
As kind as patriotic, with her hands filled with soothing cordials, she
was seen, through all her life, knocking at the door of suffering
humanity.
REMARKABLE PRESENCE OF MIND AND SELF-POSSESSION.
Were I the monarch of the earth,
And master of the swelling sea,
I would not estimate their worth,
Dear woman, half the price of thee.
GEO. P. MORRIS.
Mr. Ralph Izard, a true "liberty man," resided, during the struggle for
Independence, near Dorchester, in South Carolina. He was for awhile
aid-de-camp to the commander of the Light Troops, and was an especial
object of British hatred. On one occasion, while at home, he came very
near falling into the hands of the enemy. A number of British soldiers
surrounded his house, and on discovering them he hid himself in the
clothes-press. They were confident he was in the house, and having
instituted a thorough but ineffectual search, threatened to burn the
building, unless his wife would point out his place of concealment. She
adroitly evaded answering directly all queries respecting his quarters.
They next robbed his wardrobe; seized all the better articles they could
find in the house, and even tried to force off her finger-rings. She
still remained composed and courageous, yet courteous and urbane,
knowing that much, every thing, in fact, depended on her self-control.
Her calmness and apparent unconcern led the marauders to conclude that
they had been misled in supposing Mr. Izard was in the house; and at
length they departed. He then sprang from his covert, and, rushing out
by a back door, crossed the Ashley river and notified the Americans on
the opposite side, of the state of things.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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