Page:The part taken by women in American history.djvu/218

Rh and procured for her a bed, some provisions and a few cooking utensils. The family remained in the smokehouse two days and nights being in the meantime frequently insulted by profane and brutal language. To a young officer, who came to the door for the purpose of taunting the helpless mother, by ridiculing her countrymen, whom he termed rebels and cowards, Airs. Caldwell replied, "Wait and see what the Lord will do for us." "If He intends to do anything," roughly answered the officer, "it is time He had begun."

In replying to Mrs. Caldwell's application to one of the soldiers for protection, she was told that she could expect no favors, as the women were regarded as great rebels as the men. After remaining two days the army took their departure from the plantation, on which they had destroyed everything. Before leaving the officer in command gave orders that Doctor Caldwell's library and papers should be burned. A fire was kindled in the large oven in the yard and Mrs. Caldwell was obliged to look on while books, which could not at that time be replaced, and valuable manuscripts, which had cost the study and labor of years, were carried out by the soldiers, armful after armful, and ruthlessly committed to the flames.

The persecution of Doctor Caldwell continued while the British occupied that portion of the state. He was hunted as a felon and the merest pretenses were used to tear him from his hiding-places. Often he escaped captivity or death by what seemed a miracle. At one time when he had ventured home on a stolen visit the house was suddenly surrounded by men, who seized him before he could escape, intending to carry him to their British camp. One or two were left to guard him while the others searched the house for articles of any value. When they were nearly ready to depart Mrs. Caldwell came forward, and with the promptitude and presence of mind which women frequently display in sudden emergencies, stepped behind Doctor Caldwell and leaning over his shoulder, whispered to him as though intending the question for his ear alone, she asked if it were not time for Gillespie and his men to be there. One of the soldiers who stood nearest caught the words and with evident alarm demanded what men were meant. Mrs. Caldwell replied ingenuously that she was merely speaking to her husband. In a moment all was confusion; the whole party was panic-stricken! Exclamations and hurried questions followed in the consternation produced by this woman's simple manoeuvre, and the Tories fled precipitately, leaving their prisoner and their plunder. The name Gillespie was a terror to the Loyalists, and this party never doubted that he was on their trail.

Some time in the fall of 1780 a stranger appeared before Mrs. Caldwell's door, faint and worn, asking for supper and lodging for the night. He was bearing dispatches for General Greene and he had imagined that he would be free from danger under the roof of a minister of the Gospel. Mrs. Caldwell longed to offer him shelter, but she was constrained to explain that her husband was an object of peculiar hatred to the Tories and she could not tell the day or hour when an attack might be expected. She said he should have something to eat immediately but advised him to seek some safer place of shelter for the night. Before she finished preparing his meal voices were heard without, with the cries of "Surround the house," and the dwelling was presently assailed by a body of