Show american heroines by LOUISEM LOUISE M COMSTOCK the women of Br bryantt Stat station iori HERE are circumstances under T THERE which the humblest task may dt demand ma ind a heroism as great as the most gallant brandishing of weapons weapon s the little compary company of pioneer settlers hold ing the fort at Br station near lexington ky durt during n g the indian india n siege of 1782 was in desperate need of water A hot august sun beat derfl mercilessly down on the clearing and within the close interior of the stockade the children became restless crying for water and the men kept their grim watch beside their portholes port holes with parched throats the nearest source of supply was a small spring outside the fortification several rods away from the protecting walls the indians had divided their force into two bands one of them in plain sight of the defenders of the fort prowled about tle the clearing yelling waving tomahawks letting ly fly random arrows trying to entice them out into open battle the other lying to in ambush near the spring waited to attack attach them when they ventured forth but water was necessary without it the little stronghold could not hold on to even its slim chance of survival the question was who should go after it were men to appear outside they would simply be playing into the hands bands of the waiting indians and both those in ambush and those in the open would immediately join in an attack which must probe prove fatal the women of the fort on the other hand were in the habit babit of bringing water into the stockade from the spring every morning were they to go 90 about it now in their usual way the indians might conclude their am ambush bush was still undiscovered and would not wish to risk making it known and defeating their main purpose for the sake of firing on a handful of mere women I 1 thus the lot was cast some of the women terrified by so dangerous a prospects prospect at first refused to go there was no little hysteria la in the fort finally however spurred on by the more courageous they all consented grimly they took up their water buckets swung back the gate of the stockade and started out across the clearing A homely little band they were straight shouldered pioneer women to in shabby linsey dresses and broken shoes wane from anxious days within the fort tight lipped in the ex expectation of instant death in puzzled silence the red men watched them they reached the spring filled their buckets one after another walked back to the fort and through the open gate gat e to safety they had reckoned well byell not a shot had been fired I 1 emily geiger EN NATHANIEL GREENE whose GEN vigorous campaign in georgia an and d the carolinas Caroll nas eventually won that territory for washington and the colonists was waa retreating before lord R abdon from ninety six when he rea reached ched the broad river word was brought him that the pursuing troops had bad divided forces he immediately conceived the plan of taking advantage of this division to make an attack confident that though he bd had been helpless against the superior numbers of Raw dons combined forces he could easily defeat the two smaller forces taken one at a time his own lines were depleted however by the recent engagement his men weary to insure his success it was necessary to gain the aid of gen game rock cock sumter then scouting on the banks of the wateree many miles away the message must be carried through dangerous country ridden with tories not a man would volunteer to make the journey then there came to general greenes quarters offering to undertake this hazardous commission a young girl named emily gelger geiger of emiles family of her appearance we know very little of her later life we know only that she eventually married a rich planter and became mistress of a plantation on the Cong erce river but we do know that general greene accepted emily as his messenger entrusted her with a letter to general sumter and read its contents to her just in case of accident so she set out mounted on horseback and riding sidesaddle side saddle on the second day of her journey she was intercepted by lord Raw dons scouts and sharply questioned now emily could not tell an untruth without blushing her looks were very guilty indeed lord raw flaw dons scouts promptly took her prisoner and confined her in a room in a nearby farmhouse they sent for an old tory matron to come and search her alone adone in the room waiting for the matron emiles composure returned Drawl drawing tig out the precious letter she tore it in bits put li it into her mouth piece by piece chewed them and swallowed them the matron entered and searched the girl garl but her ber search revealed nothing suspicious and emily was eventually released to go her way shortly after emily reached her goal general Sum camp delivered her message and as a result Siim Sum troops only a little later joined greene at Orange burgh 0 issi 1932 western newspaper 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