nflicted upon the loyal forces by troops under Colonel
Bratton, to compel by force the wife to betray the husband into British
hands. A soldier under Huck's command actually placed a reaping-hook at
Mrs. Bratton's throat when she refused to reveal the whereabouts of her
husband, and Huck did not interfere; but his second in command, with
more decency, even if with a suspicion of insubordination, interposed in
the lady's behalf, though not until she had looked death in the face for
a time and had not recoiled. Threats were of no avail, and finally Huck
abandoned his purpose as impracticable. The next day brought vengeance
upon him for his brutality, for he was attacked by Colonel Bratton with
a far smaller force, himself killed, and his troops utterly routed. The
officer who had interfered in behalf of Mrs. Bratton was taken prisoner
and might have been hanged by the enraged Whigs had not the lady
fortunately recognized him in time to preserve his life by her story of
debt to him. Another anecdote of Mrs. Bratton attests her heroic
firmness of character. Ammunition was very scarce with both patriots and
Tories, and a portion of that sent by Governor Rutledge to the former
had been confided to the care of Colonel Bratton and by him placed in an
outhouse on his place. News of this came to some loyalists, who at once,
in the absence of Colonel Bratton, organized a foray to seize the
powder. But Mrs. Bratton was warned in time, and she immediately laid a
train of powder to the outhouse, took her stand at the end of the train,
and when the enemy appeared set fire to the train and blew up the
outhouse with its valuable contents. The officer in command of the
forayers was furious at being thus outwitted and demanded to know the
perpetrator of the deed. Mrs. Bratton did not flinch. "It was I who did
it," she replied. "Let the consequence be what it will, I glory in
having prevented the mischief contemplated by the cruel enemies of my
country." One hardly knows whether the more to admire the gallant
bearing of the lady or the coolness which led her to await the actual
coming of the enemy and not to destroy such valuable property until the
necessity for doing so became immediate.

These were but types, though pronounced ones, of the spirit that was
almost universal among the patriot women of America during those stormy
and fateful days. It was to be found dominant throughout the land, from
New England to the Carolinas, though of co