Produced by Sam W. and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) TEN AMERICAN GIRLS FROM HISTORY BY KATE DICKINSON SWEETSER AUTHOR OF "TEN BOYS FROM HISTORY" "TEN BOYS FROM DICKENS" ETC. ILLUSTRATED BY GEORGE ALFRED WILLIAMS [Illustration: Publisher's device] HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS NEW YORK AND LONDON [Illustration: MOLLY PITCHER] TEN AMERICAN GIRLS FROM HISTORY Copyright, 1917, by Harper & Brothers Printed in the United States of America Published October, 1917 TO EDITH BOLLING WILSON "THE FIRST LADY OF THE LAND" A DESCENDANT OF POCAHONTAS, THE INDIAN GIRL OF THE VIRGINIA FOREST WHO LINKS THE FLOWER OF EARLY AMERICA WITH THE "NEW FREEDOM" OF TODAY, THIS BOOK IS CORDIALLY DEDICATED. CONTENTS PAGE FOREWORD xi POCAHONTAS: THE INDIAN GIRL OF THE VIRGINIA FOREST 1 DOROTHY QUINCY: THE GIRL OF COLONIAL DAYS WHO HEARD THE FIRST GUN FIRED FOR INDEPENDENCE 36 MOLLY PITCHER: THE BRAVE GUNNER OF THE BATTLE OF MONMOUTH 71 ELIZABETH VAN LEW: THE GIRL WHO RISKED ALL THAT SLAVERY MIGHT BE ABOLISHED AND THE UNION PRESERVED 86 IDA LEWIS: THE GIRL WHO KEPT LIME ROCK BURNING; A HEROIC LIFE-SAVER 125 CLARA BARTON: "THE ANGEL OF THE BATTLEFIELDS" 143 VIRGINIA REED: MIDNIGHT HEROINE OF THE PLAINS IN PIONEER DAYS OF AMERICA 174 LOUISA M. ALCOTT: AUTHOR OF "LITTLE WOMEN" 207 CLARA MORRIS: THE GIRL WHO WON FAME AS AN ACTRESS 236 ANNA DICKINSON: THE GIRL ORATOR 271 ILLUSTRATIONS MOLLY PITCHER _Frontispiece_ POCAHONTAS SAVES CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH _Facing p._ 4 MISS VAN LEW BRINGING FOOD TO THE UNION SOLDIER IN THE SECRET ROOM " 108 IDA LEWIS " 128 VIRGINIA GOES FORTH TO FIND HER EXILED FATHER " 194 FOREWORD The loyalty of Pocahontas, the patriotism of Molly Pitcher and Dorothy Quincy, the devoted service of Clara Barton, the heroism of Ida Lewis, the enthusiasm of Anna Dickinson, the fine work of Louisa Alcott--all challenge the emulation of American girls of to-day. Citizen-soldiers on a field of service as wide as the world, young America has at this hour of national crisis its chance to win recognition for fidelity, for bravery, and for loyal service, with victory for American ideals as its golden reward, in a world "made safe for democracy."