Taken from: Revolutionary incidents and sketches of character chiefly in the "Old North State" : volumes 1 and 2  Stmnt.Resp.:  by E. W. Caruthers ; typed and indexed by Ruth F. Thompson.  Authors:  Caruthers, Eli W , 1799-1865 (Main Author)  Thompson, Ruth F (Added Author) 

MRS. MARTHA BELL.

If mind is essentially active, as all admit, its achievements must be in proportion to its vigor; and all its developments will be modified by the circumstances in which it is placed. Superiority of intellect, whether in man or woman, generally becomes manifest by the control which it has over other minds, and by the result of its action, whether of a selfish or a beneficient kind. Intellectual powers of a high order, when under the influence of selfish or malignant passions, are productive only of evil; but when controlled in their operation by integrity, patriotism, generosity and all the nobler qualities of the heart, their possessor becomes a benefactor to his race, and secures the gratitude and veneration of prosperity.

There Is perhaps as great a diversity of intellectual and moral qualities among women as among men; and extraordinary endowments of both, united In the same individual, are probably about as frequent on the one side as on the other. The circumstances may not be always as favorable for their development; but wherever superior intelligence and moral worth exist they ought to be acknowledged, and wherever important services have been rendered to the cause of truth and humanity, they ought to be remembered.

It is believed that there were as many females in the Old North State as in any other, who, for their sacrifices, their sufferings, and their patriotic services, deserve an honorable notice in history, as in any one of the “Old Thirteen;” and among the number was the lady whose name we have placed at the head of this article. The information we have respecting her Is not only limited and defective, but is becoming every year more slender and unreliable. Those who knew her during the active part of her life, have all, with one or two exceptions, already gone to that “bourne from when no traveller returns;” but most of the facts contained in the following sketch were obtained by the writer a number of years ago, from old people in her neighborhood, some of whom had known her most of her life, and others had become acquainted with her only a few years after the revolutionary war. They may, therefore, be regarded as, in the main, true and reliable.

She was born and raised in the south side of Orange, or probably of what is now Alamance county; but the precise spot is not known with any degree of certainty. Her maiden name was McFarlane, and, from this alone, it might be inferred that she was of Scotch or of Scotch—Irish descent. Some eight or ten years be­fore the Revolutionary war, though the precise date is not recollected, she married Col. John McGee, a young widower with two children, and in affluent circumstances. He lived on the waters of Sandy Creek, in the north side of Randolph County, where he owned large quantities of valuable land, mill, &c. He also kept a country store and was a man of more business than any other in that part of the country. About the beginning of the war, or soon after, he died and she was left a widow with five children, three sons and two daughters. Two of her sons became preachers, one a Presbyterian, the other a Methodist; and all her children became members of the church, some in one and some in another of the different denominations then in the country. Her second son, William McGee, became a Presbyterian, and was one of those who composed the Cumberland Presbytery at its organization.

After the death of her husband, being the richest widow any where in that region, she was much sought after, especially by the young widowers and middle-aged bachelors; and it was then said that she was a “little haughty,” but this probably originated with those who could not succeed in gaining her affections.

On the 6th of May, 1779, she married William Bell, a widower, who owned a mill on Deep river, where he lived, about a mile above the ford at which the road, now leading from Greensboro’ to Ashboro’, cross­es the river, and there was her residence for the remainder of her life. She was not, at any time remark­able for personal beauty nor for the opposite, but was what, in common parlance, is called a good-looking woman.’ There was nothing about her that could be regarded as masculine and nothing in her deportment, ordinarily, that was at all inconsistent with the modesty and delicacy of her sex; but she was a woman of strong mind, ardent in her temperament and remarkably firm and resolute in whatever she undertook, which just fitted her for the trying scenes through which she was called to pass.

Strong in her attachments, and equally so in her dislikes, there could be no better friend, and no more undesirable enemy; but there was no woman in the country who sustained a better character, or who was more respected by all the better part of the community. High-minded, conscious of her integrity, and in­flexible in her adherence to what she believed to be right, she seemed to fear nothing on earth except her Maker, and to desire nothing so much as the universal prevalence of peace and freedom, truth and righteous­ness. Although she was not at this time a professor of religion, no allurements could make her swerve from the path of duty, and no menaces could terrify her into a compliance with what was wrong. No matter how great at any time were the perplexities or the perils of her situation, her presence of mind never for­sook her, and she was never at a loss for expedients. Her firmness and her energy were adequate to every emergency; and on every occasion of suffering or of danger, though death seemed to stare her in the face, she always came off triumphant.

“The following extract of a letter from General Gray of Randolph county, gives a good view of Mrs. Bell’s character, and will be read with interest. He is one of the oldest men in the country, and has a distinct recollection of many things which occurred during the Revolutionary War, but notwithstanding his advanced age, his mental faculties are very little, if at all, impaired. For intelligence, probity and consistency of Christian character, no man stands higher in the community; and as he writes, in this case, from personal acquaintance, his statements are perfectly reliable. The letter, which is dated Feb. 24th, 1854, was written at my request, and as it contains two or three other facts of interest, we shall recur to it again; but for the present, we give only the part which is confirmatory of the statements above made. After observing that he writes in compliance with my request, he says: “I removed to Randolph Court House in the Spring of 1792, in the immediate vicinity of which Mrs. Bell, and the most of the Whigs of that county who had taken part in the war, resided; and from them I re­ceived all the information I am able to give you. Those who lived in the south and eastern parts of the county were mostly Tories, under the control of Colonel Fanning, or remained neutral from fear of him. Mr. Bell and his lady were both true friends to the cause of their country, and treated those who were en­gaged in its defence with the greatest kindness, friendship and hospitality; but the name of a Tory they despised; and if they ever prayed for them, I think it must have been such a prayer as David made in the 109th Psalm.

“Mrs. Bell was much esteemed by those who knew her. She had a tender feeling for the sick and af­flicted, administered to their wants, and, by her medical skill and attention, relieved many without fee or reward. She was a woman of strong mind, good understanding and invincible spirit. Alarms that would throw other females into fits only stimulated her to greater exertion both of body and mind; and often without a moment’s reflection, she would point out what ought to be done, which seldom failed to answer the purpose and give the necessary relief.”

In proof that the above statements respecting her character are not exaggerated or overwrought, we shall give a few incidents of her life, but without attempting a strict adherence to chronological order; for at this distance of time, the precise dates and order of events could not be ascertained with entire certainty.

After the death of her first husband, she carried on the whole of his business, farming, merchandis­ing, etc., just as he had been doing. His farming operations were quite extensive for a new settler, and, in the store, he was obliged to barter a great deal, by exchanging goods for deer skins, furs, flaxseed, beeswax and such articles as would bear carriage. When he wanted a supply of goods he took his produce to Petersburg in wagons; and thus, with a little money in addition, he laid in his supply. When the time came, loading his own wagon, and as many others as were necessary, he went along with them, on horseback, keeping with the wagons through the day, and lodging in some house at night. Having incidentally learned from him, during his life time, the names of all his lodging places on the road, when the time came to re­cruit her stock of goods, she set off on her first trading expedition and found no difficulty either on her way thither or in making her purchases; but after leaving Petersburg on her return, it commenced snowing early in the day; and she concluded to leave the wagons and get out of the snow as soon as possible.

For a number of miles, a whole day’s journey, the road lay through a very barren country, in which there was not a house of any description, and the only growth of timber was that of the pine. The storm increased and the snow fell so rapidly that, in a little time the ground was completely covered and the road could not be distinguished. The sun could not be seen, she had traveled the route only once, and the snow was whirling about in every direction, driving in her face and blinding her until she could have no idea of the course and became completely lost; but, having learned, by some means or other, that the larg­est and heaviest limbs of the pine tree are always on the south side, she took that for her guide; and with­out going much out of her way, she arrived at her destined place of lodging, in good time and without hav­ing experienced any other inconvenience than that of a cold and disagreeable ride.

From the very commencement of the contest with England, she espoused the cause of independence with her whole soul; and she was so decided in her opinions, and so ardent in her zeal, that she could hardly bear the sight, or even the name of a Tory. In some respects she was equal, if not more than equal, to Flora M’Donald, for she certainly had as much native intellect, with as much firmness and intrepidity; she was as sincere and devoted in her attachments; and in the same circumstances, or with the same advantages of education and refined society, in her youth, she would have been equally conspicuous and renowned.

As she had more of that kind of information which always belongs to mental power of a superior order, and was regarded as being better qualified than any other, to be useful, she found it necessary to become a sort of “professional character,” and had a very extensive practice in her line of business. For several years, however, her services were all gratuitous, and no one could insult her more highly than by offering her pay; but towards the close of the war, when she became more reduced in her circumstances by the thefts, robberies, and depredations of the British and Tories, though she was never dependent, she began to make a regular charge, which was then continued while she lived, not only for this reason, but because her ser­vices became too much in demand to be gratuitous.

At that period, and in such a state of things as then existed, it was hazardous for a woman to go, alone and unprotected, any distance from home; for the country was broken, and not very thickly settled, the roads were bad, and perfect anarchy and confusion reigned over the land, with all the animosity, virulence, and recklessness of life, and everything else that usually attend a state of civil war. Probably there was no other woman who would have ventured as she did; but she was not to be deterred from the discharge of her duty by any difficulties or perils that might beset her path. No matter at what hour of the night the call was made, nor to what distance she was required to go, mounted on a noble horse, as she always was, and well armed with dirk and pistols, she promptly obeyed the summons.

During the troublous times of the revolution, and for a few years after, it is said that she was occa­sionally insulted and by such desperate characters, that her self-possession and her dauntless courage, alone saved her from degradation, if not from death; but she always maintained her consistency of character, and always came off triumphant. We are not going into a minute detail of the incidents in her eventful life; but aim to give those which were most prominent, or which will best serve to illustrate her character.

Towards the close of the war, or soon after, when going one day along an unfrequented road, on a call of professional duty, she was met by a man whose name was Stephen Lewis, generally called Steve Lewis, a man who had belonged to Fanning’s Corps, and was a perfect desperado, a man whom everybody dreaded, and who was outlawed by public sentiment, if not by civil authority. According to the uniform tradition of the neigh­borhood, when he saw her coming, he dismounted and hitched his horse, set his gun against a tree and stepped into the middle of the road. As she came up, he took her horse by the bridle and told her she must get down, but she drew her pistol, and presenting it to his breast, told him if he moved another step she would kill him on the spot. It is not in woman’s nature to kill any one, but especially a man, to whom she instinct­ively looks for support and protection. She must be divested of all the kind and generous feelings of her nature before he can do it, unless it is from dire necessity, or in defence of her life or honor, and not one in a thousand, perhaps, could have the resolution to do it even then, Else Mrs. Bell would have killed Steve Lewis on that occasion, and would have received a public vote of thanks for so doing, but she was con­tent with taking him prisoner; and it is said, that she actually drove him home before her, holding the pis­tol in her hand all the way, and ready to fire on him at any time, if necessary. As there was no man there, however, at the time, to take him in charge, he was permitted to escape, but ultimately came to an end quite as dishonorable as if she had shot him down in the road or before her own door, This account I had, a number of years ago, from different persons, whose opportunities of knowing had been good; and although the circumstances were differently related, and may have been a little exaggerated, the main facts are be­lieved to have been true. There were several brothers by the name of Lewis, most of then were of the same character, but Steve was the most reckless and daring. Of a muscular frame and a vigorous constitu­tion, destitute of religious culture or moral principle, and enured for years to scenes of blood and cruelty, he was a disgrace to humanity, and a terror to the neighborhood; but if he escaped death in one way he soon met it in another, for he was shot in his own house, and by his own brother, to whom he had already done some injury, and whose life he had threatened.

We have heard of one or two instances, during those disordered times, in which men of no principles and no regard to decency or propriety, did things which were highly provoking, and solely for the purpose of trying her metal. Somewhere in that region, there lived a man by the name of William Yorke, who was such a desperate character that, bad as the times were, he was generally known by the name of devil Bill. He came to her house one evening and asked for lodgings. Although she knew him “by sight,” and better by character, she consented, after some hesitation, to take him in. Then, as every where else, at that period, the houses were generally small log houses, with one room below and one above-the one below be­ing used for a common sleeping as well as a common sitting room, and the one above serving as a sleeping apartment for the children or young members of the family. On retiring to bed, either out of devilment, or, thinking that, from his well-known character, she would not dare even to reprove him, he got into bed with his boots on; and she ordered him out, remarking at the same time that, if he conducted with proprie­ty, he could stay, but that he could not remain in her house and act in any such way. On his refusing to obey the order, she presented her pistol and was about to lodge the contents of it in his body; but when he saw that she was in earnest, he concluded, for once, that ‘discretion was the better part of valor,’ and was soon beyond the reach of pistol shot.

After the Guilford battle, when the British army was on its way to Wilmington, it encamped, for about two days, at and near her house. Her house stood on the north side of the river, and the van of the army arrived there, it is said, about the middle of the afternoon, the main body remaining at John Clarke’s, who lived on the adjoining plantation above. Lord Cornwallis, according to his custom, took possession of her house, but he had been well informed in regard to her character, and treated her with much respect. During this time, as might be expected, a number of little incidents occurred, which are perhaps worth re­cording; and we cannot do otherwise than feel some curiosity to know how his lordship would treat a lady of her standing, of whose house he had taken possession, without leave or license, and whose courage and firmness were at least equal to his own; but only a few items, of a reliable kind, have been preserved. Here we will take General Gray’s account of the manner in which Cornwallis introduced himself; and for this purpose, we give from the letter already quoted, the following extract, which accords substantially with the statements of others in that neighborhood.

“A few days after the battle of Guilford Court House, Cornwallis and his army arrived at Bell’s mill, where his lordship called upon the old lady, and enquired of her where her husband was, to which she re­plied, ‘In Greenes camp.’

“‘Is he an officer or a soldier in the army?’

“‘He is not; but thought it better to go to his friends, than to stay and fall into the hands of his enemies.’

“‘Madam, I must make your house my headquarters, and have the use of your mill for a few days, to grind for my army while I remain here.

“Sir, you posses the power, and, of course, will do as you please without my consent; but, after using our mill, do you intend to burn it before you leave?’

‘‘Madam, why do you ask that question?

“‘Sir, answer my question first, and then I will answer yours in a short time.’

‘His lordship then assured her that the mill should not be burnt or injured; but that he must use it to prepare provisions for his army, and further added, “that by making her house his head-quarters, he would be a protection to herself, her house, and every thing that was in or about it; for,’ said he, ‘no soldier of mine will dare to plunder, or commit depredations near my quarters.’

“To which she replied: ‘Now, sir, you have done me a favor by giving me a satisfactory answer to my question, and I will answer yours. Had your lordship said that you intended to burn our mill, [ had in­tended to save you the trouble by burning it myself before you derived much benefit from it; but as you as­sure me that the mill shall not be burned, and that you will be a protection to me, and to the property about the house, I will make no further objections to your using our mill, and making my house your head­quarters while you stay, which, I think you said, would be only for a few days.’’

These preliminaries being settled and strictly adhered to, by both parties, occasioned his lordship and Mrs. Bell to part on better terms than they met.

Lord Cornwallis could not be more zealous in the service of King George and his monarchical government, than Mrs. Bell was in the cause of freedom and Independence; nor could he remain there for two days, with his army, without occasioning a number of sad or amusing incidents. A few years ago, two or three aged men, who still recollected the scenes of the revolution, and who, from having lived all the time in her neighbor­hood, had been well acquainted with Mrs. Bell from the time she took that name until her death, related to me several additional facts, all of which were about as illustrative of her character as the above, and some of which were, on other accounts, even more interesting and important to the patriot or the historian.

Soon after entering the house, he told Mrs. Bell that he had annihilated Greene’s army, and he could never do him any more harm, but this was mere bravado, as he virtually admitted in the course of a few min­utes. It was about the vernal equinox, and the day being cold and blustering, the back or north door, which opened on the road leading from Martinville to Fayetteville, was kept shut on account of the wind. His lordship soon opened the back door and stood in it for some minutes, looking up the road, and then re­turned to his seat leaving it open. She went and shut it, but, after a few minutes, he opened it again and did as before. He was evidently in trouble and restless, for he could not remain, for five minutes at a time, in the same position; for he was sometimes sitting, sometimes walking across the floor, and appeared to be in a deep study. After shutting the door again he told her that he wanted that door to stand open, and, when she asked him for the reason, he said he didn’t know but General Greene might be coming down the road. Why, sir,’ said she, “I thought you told me a little while ago that you had annihilated his army, and that he could do you no more harm.’ On this, his lordship heaved a sigh and replied: “Well, madam, to tell you the truth, I never saw such fighting since God made me, and another such victory would annihilate me.” If a few hundred Whigs, at that juncture, had promptly and resolutely offered their services to Gener­al Greene, as would be done now in a similar case, so that he could have attacked the enemy again with suf­ficient numbers, there can be no doubt that the whole army would have surrendered with very little resist­ance, and an almost bloodless victory would have been gained; for it is well known, or has been all along believed, that their amunition was becoming scarce, that their money chest was getting low, and they were encumbered with a great many wounded officers and men.

It was very annoying to Mrs. Bell to have such haughty and profane men in her house and such a rude soldiery round about it; but the presence of Lord Cornwallis protected her from any gross insult, and, in fact, none of them seemed disposed to treat her with as much rudeness even as they had treated Mrs. Caldwell and some others only a week before; for they were much mortified by the results of the last conflict and were more occupied with thoughts about their own safety than any thing else. They took her grain, cat­tle, provisions, and whatever else they wanted, so far as I have learned, without compensation, and without any care for the distress it might occasion her family.

Cornwallis treated her with courtesy and, no doubt, tried to prevent any unnecessary depredations on her property; but he could not be everywhere, and soldiers are not apt to inform on each other. She could sometimes hear the soldiers and subaltern officers at a distance cursing her for a rebel and uttering their denunciations; but all this she could bear in view of the certain and glorious triumph which she anticipa­ted. Confident of ultimate success, she could neither be bribed nor frightened into an abandorment of her principles; and if her life had been at stake, she would have maintained her dignity and her firmness to the last;

As one of the men was riding, at a rapid gait by the door in which she was standing for the purpose of watering his horse in the river, he uttered some profance or insulting language; and she said she did wish the horse would throw him and break his neck. In two or three minutes she had her wish, for as he was reck­lessly dashing down the hill to the river, the horse stumbled and fell, which threw the rider over his neck, head foremost on some rocks, and he was killed on the spot.

Having been duly apprised of their coming, and being well aware of their rapacity and recklessness, she had taken what measures she could to secure such articles as she deemed of most value and could not remove to any great distance, particularly her cash and her bacon. The latter of which articles she had taken over the river and hid among some rocks where it was supposed no body would ever think of looking, or could find it without a guide. The money she hid under a large rock about the house. This was all in specie—mostly In guineas and half Jos, and this being of more value than any thing else that they would be likely to get, was the object of her greatest solicitude. This she had hid under a large rock which formed the bottom step to the door. The rock was so large that she could just pry up one side of it; and, having made a small hole in the ground in which she deposited her treasure, she let the rock down again in its former position. Then she did not expect that the army or any portion of it would be so near to the house; but to her great sur­prise they were all the time passing over it. It had been for some time a common expedient with the people over the country, especially with the Whigs, to hide their treasure under rocks or to bury it in the ground, and, as she was well aware the British had not only learned this fact from the Tories, but how to search for it. By some means or other, accident or design, the rock would probably be removed; and then all her cash, the earnings of a laborious practice for years, would not only be lost to her, but would go to feed and clothe her mortal enemies.

By a woman of her spirit, this could not be borne with patience; and she was resolved that it should not be lost without an effort to place it out of danger. For this purpose, she went deliberately into the camp, under the pretext of making some request, or of lodging a complaint for misdemeanors on the part of the soldiers; and, having transacted that matter, whatever it was, she walked about in a careless manner, as if to gratify an idle curiosity, in looking at the tents, until they all became engaged in some other way, and their attention was turned to something else. Then, going up to the place, she raised a side of the rock, took out her money, and returned into the house, without attracting their notice, or exciting the least suspicion.

At this time, and for several years previous, they had a man employed to attend their mill, by the name of Stephen Harlin, who was a good miller, but proved to be a miserable scamp of a Tory. Besides let­ting the British have grain or meal out of the mill, he told them where the bacon hams were hid, and thus they got the whole of them. He also told them that there was a quantity of very good cider in the cellar, and they determined to have that at all events. Accordingly, they went to her, and told her that they wanted the cider; but she told them promptly and positively, that it was for her own use, and that they could not have it. They swore they would have it, any how; and started towards the cellar door, with the intention of bursting it open; but she got between then and the door, and, standing with her back against it, she told then with a firm tone, and with a calm, dignified countenance, that they could not get in there without treating her as no gentleman and no soldier of true courage would ever treat a woman. Thus she overawed them or shamed them out of their purpose, and saved her cider; but she had no more use for Harlin. An old friend, who, living always in that neighborhood, within a few miles of the mill, had some recollection of those times, and who gave me the above facts a few years ago, told me, that as he was a good miller, she let him remain until she could get another who had the confidence of the public; but that she never spoke to him afterwards. General Gray, however, whose recollection is probably better, says, that “as soon as the army was gone, Mrs. Bell dismissed her miller, Stephen Harlin, because he threw up his hat and hurra’d for King George when they arrived.’ His shouting “Hurra for King George,” was abun­dantly sufficient to insure his dismission from her employ; but we have no doubt that he was also guilty of the other acts of meanness above mentioned; and we presume that she dismissed him at once, without hesitation, or an anxious thought for the future.

In the evening of the day on which the British left her premises, she made a visit to their camp, for the purpose, it is said, of reconnoitering, but under some other pretext. What was her precise object, or what induced her to engage in the enterprise, no definite or reliable information can now be obtained; but the tradition has been so uniform and so well sustained, that there can be no doubt of the fact. Probab­ly she was induced to make this visit to the camp of the enemy at the suggestion of Colonel Lee, or at least for his satisfaction. He and Colonel Washington were now hanging on the rear of the British, haras­sing their foraging parties and cutting off stragglers. As General Greene was making preparation to pur­sue his retreating foe, it was important that he should obtain speedy and certain information respecting their condition and movements, and whatever these enterprising officers learned was soon communicated. The army, crippled as it was, pressed with the difficulty of getting provisions, and encumbered with a large number of wounded officers and soldiers, moved very slowly. Although he had left all the soldiers and subaltern officers, who were too badly wounded to be removed, at New Garden, trusting to the humanity of General Greene and the Quakers, he still had a great many with him who could not bear long or rapid journeys, and who, notwithstanding all the care that could be taken of them, were dying all along the road. After leaving Bells premises they went only a few miles to the plantation of Mr. Walker, who lived on Sandy creek, and there took up camp for the night.

That Colonel Lee was at Bell’s on the same day that the British left, and that he was well acquainted with Mrs. Bell’s character, there is no doubt; her familiarity with every road and every bye-path, with every plantation and hill and dale, in addition to her patriotism and intrepidity, just fitted her for such an enterprise; and she would be in no danger, for Cornwallis, having been so lately sheltered under her roof, could not do otherwise than treat her with courtesy and respect. Some say she put on the mili­tary uniform or regimentals of her husband, who was or had been a militia-captain, but this was probably an addition “by a later hand.” At all events, as she never went from home at this period, without being well armed with dirk and pistol, we may rely on the tradition that she wore her customary armor on the present occasion. Thus equipped and mounted on a first-rate horse, she set off alone and fulfilled her mission with entire success. the object, was to ascertain, as far as possible, the condition of the Bri­tish army, and especially whether they were receiving any considerable accessions of Tories. Under the pretext of making complaint against the soldiers for depredations committed on her property, which had not become known to her until after they were gone, she went into the camp and hunted up his lordship or re­quested to be taken to his tent, to whom she made her complaint, but in doing this she had her eye upon everything, and managed so as to get the information she wanted, when she returned home in safety and much pleased with what she had done.

While Col. Lee was in this neighborhood he captured two young men, William Julien and William Trog­den, who were both Tories. One of whom is said not to have been very smart, and the children had, shortly before, stuck a red patch on his hat as a badge that he was for the British; but they were, both of them, known and avowed loyalists. When taken, and told that they must die, they entreated that they might be taken to Mrs. Bell; and, as it was not far to her house, they were gratified. When there they begged her most earnestly to intercede for their life, saying “you know us, Mrs. Bell;’ but the only reply she made was, “I know you not;” and all she said to Col. Lee, was, that he must not put then to death in her house. As they were taking them off to some distance from the house for execution, Trogden broke away and by a des­perate effort, or by good luck, or both, made his escape, though several pistols were fired at him; but Julien was shot. Her refusal to Intercede for these unfortunate young men was not owing to any want of human feeling, as I was told, but to some previous conduct on their part which had impressed her with the belief that they ought not to live. She is said to have been a woman of as much tenderness of feeling as any other; but her sensibilities were in an unusual degree, in subordination to her principles, and under the control of a sound and vigorous intellect.

When a party, either of Col. Leo’s men, or of some other corps, were out foraging in the neighborhood of Bell’s, on the plantation of Joe Clarke, a man, by the name of Robbins, concealed himself in a thicket of bushes and shot Cap. Cruikshanks who had command of the company. Cruikshanks was, with the whole corps, a great favorite, and the men were so enraged that they instantly fell upon Robbins, and cut and hacked him about the head until they felt certain that he was dead; but he must have had an usually hard head, or like the cat, “nine lives;’ for he recovered and lived many years. This was in the evening, and next day he crawled on his hands and knees to Bell’s house which was distant about a mile. There are two different accounts of the manner in which she treated him; but they are not contradictory. The old friend in the neighborhood, who has been already mentioned, told me that she had compassion on him and dressed his wounds, gave him refreshment and took care of him until he was able to take care of himself, which was at a time when her husband could not sleep a night in his own house without the risk of being assassinated by Robbins and other Tortes; but others say that she would not do anything for him, nor even admit him into her house or so much as notice him. Such was probably her treatment of him at first; but on considering his miserable condition, she may have relented and treated him with more kindness.

In the midst of these transactions or in near connection with them, though the precise date is not re­collected, she engaged in another enterprise, more difficult and adventurous, perhaps, than that of recon­noitering the British camp. She rode one night, the whole night, in company with a Whig as a spy, or rather for the purpose of getting information respecting an embodiment of Tories, which was said to be form­ing on the other side of the river, and some fourteen miles from her house, in a west or south-west direc­tion. The undertaking was both toilsome and perilous; for the distance was considerable and the roads were bad; the country was broken, and abounded with robbers and cut-throats. She went,” my correspondent says, “in the character of a midwife,” and when they met anyone or came to a house, she was spokesman, and did all the talking. She first enquired the road to such a place, and always managed to have it understood, directly or indirectly, on what business she was going. Her next enquiries were directed more to the ob­ject she had in view, such as, Were there any roya1ists embodying in that direction? Where was their place of meeting? How far was it? What was their number? What were they going to do? Would they molest her? In most cases she got a satisfactory answer; and to the last, generally received the reply, “0 no, not when you are on that business.” Being acquainted with the roads, she changed her course according to the infor­mation she got, still pretending to be in great haste, and fearing she would be too late. Thus she went as far as she intended, got all the information she desired or expected, and returned home early in the morning, having rode in the course of the night, about thirty miles. Soon after the writer came into the country, he was told that in consequence of the information thus obtained, Col. Lee went the next night, took them by surprise, and broke up the whole concern. A few years ago, sane old Quakers—friends before referred to—who had lived all their lives in that neighborhood, and still recollected those times, told me that although they had forgotten the dates and the minute circumstances, they well recollected the fact of her going to reconnoitre the British camp, and also the one which has just been related. Both of them are still current traditions in the neighborhood; and there can be no doubt that they are substantially true. They are in keeping with the rest of her history, and are honorable to her character.

In the course of the ensuing summer, the Tories, who, in that region at least, cared more for plunder, than for King George or any body else, were very troublesome and often attacked her house, sparing nothing that they could destroy or carry away and attempting, more than once, to murder some of the family. They burned the barn one night, with every thing in It; and when her sons, who were not yet grown, mere boys, in fact, attempted to preserve the property from destruction, they wounded one of thin, and threatened to shoot them every one, which, it is supposed, would have been the result If they had persisted. This class of the population, or a large portion of them, appear to have been perfectly reckless, caring neither for the rights of justice, nor the claims of humanity; and they seem to have had a particular spite at Mr. Bell and his family on account of their influence, and of the very decided part which they had taken In the cause of freedom.

When Mrs. Bell’s aged father was there on a visit, and was spending a short time with his daughter and grand-children, a number of them came one night, and, among other outrages, were about to take his life. As it was known in the neighborhood that he was there, it was supposed that to murder him was their main design in coining, and one or two, approaching him with drawn swords, were about to imbrue their hands in his blood. For some reason, not now recollected, she did not have her pistols by her, or thought It more expedient to adopt another plan. There was no time to devise measures nor even to walk across the room in search of weapons, and with her characteristic presence of mind and promptness of action, she did not at­tempt it; but, seizing a broad-axe which, very fortunately happened to be at hand, and raising that over her head, tightly grasped, with both hands, she said to them in the most positive manner, and with a stern­ness which was irresistible, “If one of you touches him I’ll split you down with this axe. Touch him if you dare!” and she would certainly have done it, regardless of consequences, if the attempt had been made; but being overawed, or feeling convinced by her whole demeanor, the dauntless expression of her counten­ance, her attitude of defiance, and the earnest tones of her voice, that she would do what she said, they stood for a moment, abashed, confounded, and then left the house. Thus, by her fearlessness and decision of character, her uncommon energy and promptness of action, she saved the life of a venerable and beloved parent, and showed that she was no less affectionate as a daughter, than she was ardent and patriotic as a citizen. If “woman’s courage does not always begin where man’s courage fails,” it becomes most con­spicuous and efficient in those circumstances in which man is unnerved, and at his wit’s end.

During the summer of 1781, Mr. Bell went to the North, but whether on public or private business, is not known to the writer. In the fall he returned and ventured to remain, for a short time, with his family. The Tories were soon aware of his return, and went there one night with the intention of taking his life. The doors were fastened so that they could not readily enter; but this gave them no concern whatever, for they were rather gratified than otherwise with a plea for setting the house on fire. In that case, if he attempted to run they intended to shoot him, at all events, and perhaps some of his step— sons, As they were passing round the house, Mr. Bell put his head Out of a window, intending, if he saw any of them bringing fire, or in the act of applying it to the house, to shoot them with his pistol, but one of them who happened to be close by the window at the time, struck him on the head with his sword and inflicted a severe wound, but did not kill him as he aimed to do. Mrs. Bell then called to her sons, lads yet only in their teens, who were upstairs in bed, to get the old musket and be ready to fire out of the windows. Then going to the window next to the kitchen and calling their servant boy, Peter. loud enough for the men on the outside of the house to hear, and intending that they should hear, she said to him, “Run as hard as you can to Jo. Clarke’s and tell him and the light-horse to come as quickly as pos­sible, for the Tories are here.” Clarke was one of her nearest neighbors, and a resolute man. He lived on the adjoining plantation, about a mile up the river, and generally at this period, had a troop of mounted men, who, though not always with him, nor on duty, were at his command. At this time she knew no more than they did, whether Clarke’s men were there or not, but from the confident and earnest manner in which she spoke to the servant, they supposed it must be so, and fearing that the old musket might tell upon some of them from the upper window, or that Jo. Clarke with his “light-horse” might take them by surprise, or perhaps, apprehensive of both, though they had the fire ready to apply, they dropped everything and made their escape.

Finding it as unsafe as ever to remain in his own house, especially at night, when their depreda­tions and deeds of atrocity were usually committed, Mr. Bell did not venture to lodge in his own house again for months, and she mostly kept a few young men, on whom she could depend, to act as a guard at night. This probably saved her life, or at least her house and property from destruction. When Colonel Fanning called there on his return from that bloody excursion up Deep river, described in the first vol­ume, she was determined to stand by her property to the last; but in relation to this matter, we will give another extract from General Gray’s letter.

“Mr. Bell had taken so active a part against the Tories, that he knew if he fell into their hands they would take his life; and, for this reason, he seldom lodged in his own house, while the old lady de­termined, at all risks, to stick by ‘the stuff,’ and endeavor to prevent her property from being plun­dered. She stayed at home; but usually got eight or ten young men, on whose bravery she could depend, to stay in the house at night; for it was generally in the night that the Tories committed their depreda­tions. In the night after Fanning had killed Colonels Balfour, Bryant and others, and burned several houses and barns, when he and his troop rode into the yard at Bell’s, the old lady took the command, and, with the voice of a Stentor, ordered her men to throw open all the windows, take good aim and not draw a trigger until they were sure, each one, of his man. This was heard by Fanning and his company who wheeled off, no doubt, believing that the house was full of armed men; but Mrs. Bell’s little troop was so well pleased to get rid of them that they did not even give them a salute at starting.”

Her trip to Wilmington, in company with Mrs. Dugan, when she went to see her son, Col. Thomas Dugan, who had long been confined on board an English prison ship, and was then condemned to be hung, has been related in the first volume, and other facts of interest and variety might be stated; but we have aimed to give only such incidents as were most prominent and most authentic. The above are, in fact, only samples of the many hardships, perilous adventures and trying scenes through which she was called to pass during that eventful period of our history; and, if we mistake not, our readers will think with us, that her many deeds of noble daring and the firmness, energy and prudence with which she acquitted herself on every occasion, when either courage, promptness of action or the sacrifice of personal interest was re­quired, furnish the most gratifying proof of her magnanimity and her exalted patriotism.

For several years after the cessation of hostilities, or after the British army had left the State, and left it to return no more, the country continued in nearly as much anarchy, turmoil and violence, as it had ever been. Strife and rapine still prevailed; and acts of revenge and murder were frequent. The angry and perturbed passiors. when excited to the highest pitch, as they were then, by numberless acts of provocation—the animosity and strife, the ambition and revenge, the contempt of danger and love of adventure, the recklessness with regard to moral obligation and the habits of theft, robbery, and blood­shed, which have been engendered and fostered into rank maturity, by a foreign and domestic war of seven or eight years’ continuance, cannot be quelled at the bidding of a few, nor made to pass away in a moment, as evil spirits are said to be driven away by the magic wand of the conjuror. In such times, the claims of moral and religious obligation very slowly and gradually regain their ascendency over the human mind. A practical regard for the supremacy of law, and the acknowledgement of mutual rights and duties, as founded on the great principles of justice and humanity, return like a calm in the boisterous ocean, by slow and almost imperceptible degrees.

Of Mrs. Bell’s history after the war, we know very little, except that she continued to serve the pub­lic as she had been doing, until she became too old and infirm to leave home. Her life was, of course, more retired, quiet and monotonous, but was spent more pleasantly, if not more usefully. While the country continued in so much agitation and disorder that it was unsafe for a woman to travel alone, she still car­ried her arms as she had done during the war; and, although she passed through some trying and perilous scenes, she maintained her character for firmness and resolution to the last. Her most prominent traits were a quick discernment of what was necessary or proper to be done in given circumstances, a decision of purpose, and an energy of action that could not be surpassed, a calm and dignified firmness on all occasions, and a patriotic devotion to the cause of freedom and independence bordering on enthusiasm. Dur­ing the war, and for some years after peace was concluded, when riding over the country, if she saw a man whose face was strange, or who looked at all suspicious, she would hail him, and make him give an account of himself, demanding his name and his business. If this should appear to the reader inconsistent with the modesty and delicacy of her sex, he must recollect that “circumstances alters cases.” At all times, there may be occasions, and they were of almost daily occurrence at that period, when those qualities, so becom­ing ordinarily, must be subordinate to the higher principles of self-preservation and the public good. In such a state of anarchy, disorder and violence, as then prevailed, there was no proper respect paid to the female sex, except by the more intelligent and refined, who were then comparatively a small portion of the community; and the woman whose energy, prudence and dignified firmness were adequate to any emergency, and enabled her on all occasions to defend her principles and her honor, even when her natural protectors were arrayed against her, and when, otherwise, her life might be the forfeit, was sure to command a respect which would not be shown to more lovely or attractive qualities, and she passed through her trials with far more satisfaction, as well as more credit, to herself and her friends.

While her modesty and delicacy, if not affected, are usually regarded as her highest ornament, all the world admires a woman whose intellectual powers and moral courage and patriotic devotion to the welfare of her country raise her, in such times, above the weakness of her sex, and enable her to face danger in its most appalling forms, and to defend herself and her principles regardless of consequences. Who does not ad­mire the character and the conduct of Deborah, who, when her country was groaning under the oppression of a foreign yoke, led on the armies of Israel to battle and to victory, and at a time when there was not a man in the nation who had the courage to come forward and take the command? The world abounds with similar ex­amples and they form many of the brightest pages in the history of every nation. Few women, during the Re­volution, displayed, in a higher degree or on more frequent occasions, those qualities which excite the ad­miration of the good and virtuous, or of the honorable and high-minded, than Martha Bell; and her name is freely ‘given in charge to the historic muse,’ without any apprehension that it will be proclaimed with a feeble or a jarring voice.

After law and order were fairly established, and after morality and religion had gained a sufficient influence over the public mind to restrain men from acts of atrocity and violence, her arms were gladly laid aside. She had never worn them from a martial spirit, for she loved peace as much as any one in the land; nor did she do it for ostentation or parade, for she was as free fram every thing of that kind as any other mortal; but it was, with her, a matter of imperious necessity. She must do it or submit to be insulted with impunity and perhaps be in continual jeopardy of her life. Situated as she was, she must shrink from the avowal of her principles and from the discharge of her duty, or she must go prepared to defend herself from the insults of the profance and the violence of the lawless. She must consent, contrary to the strong, undying impulses of her nature, to sink her influence entirely and become a mere cypher, at a time too when all the courage, and patriotism, and love of freedom in the land were in pressing requisition, or she must shew to the world that, like all true hearted patriots, in every age and clime, she valued liberty enough to risk even her life in its defence; and that, if she did fall a sacrifice in the contest, it should be a voluntary sacrifice in the defence of her rights and in the discharge of her duties. If all the women of the Whig community, at that day, had been of her character, even if they did not equal her in physical strength and intellectual vigor, they would have had an influence which neither British nor Tories could have resisted and the contest would have been neither so arduous nor so protracted; but then the task of the historian, by grouping all together, might have been an easy one, or it might have been made one of end­less eulogy. When Mr. Bell died is not known to the writer, but she was a widow, the second time, for many years before her death.

Although she had enjoyed, to some extent, the benefits of a religious education, she was not, at this time, a professor or religion; but early in the present century, or In what is usually termed the great re­vival” in the South, she professed her faith in Christ, and connected herself with the church. From that time until her death, which was about twenty years, she continued to adorn the profession which she had made, and all the native qualities of her mind and heart were still in their full vigor, but were now di­rected in a different channel. All that firmness, independence, and inflexible adherence to principle, all that energy and perseverance in the discharge of duty which had been so signally displayed through the trying and perilous times of the revolutionary struggle, were still manifest even down to old age; but they were now exercised in the promotion of a much nobler cause, and in the enjoyment of a higher liberty than that which was obtained by patient endurance of complicated sufferings, and by deeds of martial prow­ess through long years of toil, and sacrifice, and bloodshed. “He is free, and he alone, who. the truth makes free.’ That freedom she obtained and enjoyed as much, perhaps, as most other Christians; but there was another great battle yet to be fought; and it was fought, nobly fought, triumphantly fought, and a glorious victory won: for she died in great peace. September 9, 1820, about eighty-five years of age; and of her it may be truly said, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.”

Few women in the common walks of life, and in this or any other Protestant country, have passed through so many, and such severe trials, or have displayed such a rare combination of intellectual and moral qualities. Traits of character so noble and so diversified, are not as common as they ought to be, in either sex; and when they do occur, especially in such times, they claim not only our admiration, but our grateful remembrance. What she would have been in the higher walks of life, and with the advantages of a finished education, we cannot tell, nor need we inquire; and we have no disposition to search for faults, or discuss the propriety of any one transaction of her life. We leave that for those who can neither admire magnanimity, nor appreciate deeds of heroic courage in a noble cause, nor relish high-toned feelings of patriotic devotion; but whatever my have been her imperfections, and whatever she might have done under other circumstances, or with better advantages of mental culture, she acted on the whole, a noble part; and no one who was acquainted with her history., or who knew her personally, especially in the latter part of her life, could ever doubt that she has gone ‘where the wicked cease from troubling, and where the weary are forever at rest.’