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Heroines of the Past ¥VoiiH‘ii plavctl an im porta nl part in the Revolutionary War. just as they are doing today. Uere are a few outstanding inci¬ dents. «I/ 1ПСЛК ABI UMTIIV METHODS of warfare have changed considerably since the days of the American Revolu¬ tion. The squirrel-ri(le would hardly be effective against a 50-cnlibre machine gun; the finest cavalry would be completely helpless l>cfore a modern tank; while a single up-to-date mili¬ tary plane could probably have de¬ cided that conflict either way. Then too war was strictly a man’s job in those days. Or was it ? Let's look at the case of Susan Twitty. aged seventeen. One Septem¬ ber morning in 1780, shortly before the battle of King’s Mountain, Susan was ono of a company of Patriots seeking shelter from marauding Tories at the home of Col. William Graham, in what is now Cleveland County. Only three men capable of bearing arms, including Susan’s 19- year old brother, William, were present to repel the attack of twenty- three l- -ioging Tories. Saved Her Brother With only three riflemen present, one side of the house was of necessity unguarded. Д venturesome Tory ran up to this unguarded side, and aimed at William through a crack. In the nick of time Susan snatched her brother aside, and the ball buried it¬ self harmlessly in the wall. While the Tory was reloading, William shot him dead. Unbarring the door, Susan dashed out amid a shower of bullets, and brought in the gun and ammunition of the fallen Tory. In view of such bravery, it's not surprising that the Tories were beaten off. Then there was Mary Slocumb, of Wayne County. Mrs. Slocumb and her husband, Ezekiel, were married in 1778, when both were only eighteen. Ezekiel joined a troop of cavalry, and was away for long periods of time combating the Royalists. In his absence his young bride took entire charge of the farm, “doing as much and all that n man ever did, except iiiiiuling rails,” she said. Just to get rid of that exception, she went out one day and split a few. The night before the battle of Moore’s Creek, which took place February 27, 1776, Mrs. Slocumb had a dream. Ezekiel was away with the Whig troops. In her dream she saw a body wrapped in her husband’s bloody cloak, with other dead and wounded lying about. This dream was so vivid that when she woke, al¬ though it was near midnight, she rose from her bed, saddled her mare, and set out in search of the troops. Aiding the Wounded After a ride of more than thirty miles, sho reached Moore’s Creek bridge just n« the battle was ending. There sho found a group of wounded Whigs, and among them was the figure wrapped in her husband’s cloak, just as in the dream, but the body was not that of her husband, who proved to be uninjured. You might think that Mrs. Slocumb would have been completely exhausted after her arduous journey, not to mention her worries, but she wasn't too tired to pitch right in and aid the wounded. Her timely care saved at least one life. In the middle of the following night she set out again and made the long journey home alone. Ladies were made of durable material in those days. I’m sure Mrs. Slocumb’s rails were well mauled. Not. all the early heroines took part in scenes of battle. Let’s con¬ sider Elizabeth Steele, of Salisbury. Gen. Nathaniel Greene reached Salisbury the night of February I, 1781. His little army was in full retreat before that of Lord Cornwallis. All day ho had ridden in the cold winter rain, and arrived at Mrs. Steele’s homo “fatigued, hungry, alone and penniless,” as he remarked to Dr. Read who was in charge of the sick and wounded1 at that point. Soon the General was seated at n flinr * ||IP! e ■шц ii . | ц ai Moore’s Creek National Military Park, showing the monument dedi¬ cated to the women of the lower Cape Fear section, especially Polly Slocumb. bountiful table, before a roaring fire. Hardly had he begun to do justice to the amplo fare when his hostess entered. "I heard your remark to Dr. Read when you came in,” she said. From beneath her apron she drew two small bags of coin, her savings for many years. “Take these,” she continued, “for you will need them; I cun do without them.” It goes without saying that when General Greene resumed his journey that night, he carried with him a lighter heart, and an inner warmth which wasn’t altogether due to the food and fire by which ho ate it. The Portrait of George III On the wall of the room in which Greene ate hung a portrait of George III. Before leaving ho took down the picture, and wroto on the hack: з