Tales, Traditions and Romance of Border and Revolutionary TimesEllis, Edward Sylvester
History
Tales, Traditions and Romance of Border and Revolutionary Times
Ellis, Edward Sylvester
Frontier and pioneer life -- United States -- Anecdotes; United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Anecdotes
Her youth was passed among the eventful scenes of our Revolution, and a
number of incidents are related, that go to prove her calm courage, and
her inflexibility of purpose. She was born in 1764, and, therefore, in
the earlier part of the contest was nothing more than a child.
The terrors of the war were often enacted before the very door of her
step-father's residence. On one occasion, a most sanguinary skirmish
took place just before the house, between a body of Colonel Washington's
cavalry and some of Rawdon's men. Shortly after, a party of the British
in search of plunder broke into the house. But the family had been
forewarned, and concealed their treasures. In searching for plunder they
discovered a quantity of apples, and began to roll them down the stairs,
while the soldiers below picked them up. Miss Moore, nothing fearing,
commanded them to desist, with an air so determined and resolute, that
an officer standing by, admiring so courageous a spirit in a girl so
young, ordered the soldiers to obey her.
On another occasion, a party of Tories, in pillaging the house,
commanded one of the servants to bring them the horses. Miss Moore
commanded him not to obey. The Tories repeated the order, accompanied
with a threat to beat him if he refused. The command of the young girl
was reiterated, and just as the Tory was about putting his threat into
execution, she threw herself between them, and preserved the slave from
the intended violence.
At one time, great danger was threatening Captain Wallace, who commanded
a small force, a few miles distant. It was of the utmost importance that
this intelligence should be conveyed to him, but there was no male whose
services could be commanded, and, therefore, Miss Moore volunteered to
convey the message herself. This was when she was but fifteen. Midnight
was chosen as the hour, and accompanied by her little brother and a
female friend, she set out in a canoe up the river toward the encampment
of the Whigs. Silently and swiftly they propelled their frail vessel up
the dark current, through forests buried in darkness, and a profound
silence that awed them; with the calm stars above, and the deep river
gloomily rolling by, and no human sounds to relieve the oppressive
solemnity of the hour. It was the hour, too, when the enemy usually set
out on their marauding expeditions, and the young girls knew that
neither their sex nor their innocence would preserve them from ruthless
foes, who were more relentless and cruel than the swarthy savages of the
forest. But the fate of many of their countrymen depended on their
exertions, and, as it proved, the future destiny of our heroine was
involved in the successful issue of their enterprise. Undismayed by the
perils of the journey, the young girls bent their energies to the task
before them, and at last saw lights glimmering in the distance, that
pointed out their destination. They soon reached the encampment, a
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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