|
It was mainly the men who went to
war – who wielded the weapons and fought on the
battlefield. But 20,000 women (one for every 10 men) accompanied
their soldier husbands during the Revolution, traveling from army camp
to army camp, tending babies, hearths and injuries far from the
comforts of their own homes. Other women stayed behind and
performed the duties that formerly had been the responsibilities of the
men.
|
|
Grace and Rachel Martin, two young
patriot wives, lived with their mother-in-law, Mrs. Martin, while their
soldier husbands were away. These two young women performed a
daring feat—they held up a British courier who was expected to
pass by their farmhouse on his way to the next fort. The women
dressed in men’s clothes and brought their rifles. Toward
dusk the British courier appeared with two escorts. The women
jumped out and raised their rifles. In as deep a voice as
possible, one ordered the soldiers to halt, then demanded their papers
before allowing them to leave. The girls took a shortcut home and
immediately gave the confiscated papers to a messenger headed for an
American camp. Then they changed back into feminine attire.
Soon, three British soldiers rode up and asked Mrs. Martin if they
could spend the night. Mrs. Martin asked if she had not seen them
going by in the opposite direction earlier. They said that she
had, then explained that they had been held up by two rebel lads.
Mrs. Martin let them spend the night. The next morning at
breakfast the soldiers met the two younger Mrs. Martins, and, never
suspecting anything out of the ordinary, conversed with them politely
until it was time for them to ride on.
|
front
back
