Produced by David Starner, Brownfox and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net TRANSCRIBERS' NOTES This e-book contains the text of _She Would Be A Soldier_, extracted from Representative Plays by American Dramatists: Vol 1, 1765-1819. Comments and background to all the plays and the other plays are available at Project Gutenberg. Spelling as in the original has been preserved. SHE WOULD BE A SOLDIER _By_ M. M. NOAH [Illustration: M. M. NOAH] MORDECAI MANUEL NOAH (1785-1851) Mr. Noah was born in Philadelphia, July 19, 1785, the son of Portuguese Jewish descent, it being stated by some sources that his father not only fought in the Revolutionary Army, but was a sufficient friend of George Washington to have the latter attend his wedding. In his early years, he was apprenticed, according to the custom of the day, to a carver and gilder, but he spent most of his evenings in the Franklin Library and at the theatre, likewise attending school in his spare time, where, among the pupils, he met John and Steven Decatur, famed afterwards in the history of the American Navy. He filled a minor position in the Auditor's office in Philadelphia, but his tastes inclined more to journalistic than they did to desk work, and, in 1800, he travelled to Harrisburg as a political reporter. Several years after this, he went to Charleston, and studied law, but before he had had a chance to practise, he became the editor of the Charleston _City Gazette_, and, advocating those principles which resulted in the War of 1812, he used his pen, under the pseudonym of _Muley Molack_, to disseminate those ideas in editorials. The consequence is he encouraged much hatred, and was forced into many duels to support his opinions. In 1811, he was offered the position of Consul at Riga by President Madison, but declined. In 1813, he was sent by Mr. Monroe, as Consul, to Tunis, at a time when the United States was having trouble with Algerian piracy. During all this period, his pen was actively busy, and while he was abroad he did much travelling which resulted, in 1819, in his publishing a book of travels. In 1816, he returned to New York, and settled there as a journalist. Being a Tammanyite in politics, we find him filling the position of Sheriff, Judge and Surveyor of the Port at various periods. He was, likewise, an editor of some skill, and his name is associated with the columns of the _New York Enquirer_, the _Evening Star_, the _Commercial Advertiser_, the _Union_, and the _Times and Messenger_. His political career may be measured in the following manner: In 1821 he became Sheriff. In 1823, he was admitted to the bar of New York, and in 1829 to the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States. This same year he was appointed Surveyor of the Port of New York.