Ten American Girls From History   By: Kate Dickinson Sweetser (-1939)

BY KATE DICKINSON SWEETSER

AUTHOR OF "TEN BOYS FROM HISTORY" "TEN BOYS FROM DICKENS" ETC.

ILLUSTRATED BY GEORGE ALFRED WILLIAMS

[Illustration: Publisher's device]

HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS NEW YORK AND LONDON

[Illustration: MOLLY PITCHER]

TEN AMERICAN GIRLS FROM HISTORY

Copyright, 1917, by Harper & Brothers Printed in the United States of America Published October, 1917

TO EDITH BOLLING WILSON

"THE FIRST LADY OF THE LAND"

A DESCENDANT OF POCAHONTAS, THE INDIAN GIRL OF THE VIRGINIA FOREST WHO LINKS THE FLOWER OF EARLY AMERICA WITH THE "NEW FREEDOM" OF TODAY, THIS BOOK IS CORDIALLY DEDICATED.

CONTENTS

PAGE

FOREWORD xi

POCAHONTAS: THE INDIAN GIRL OF THE VIRGINIA FOREST 1

DOROTHY QUINCY: THE GIRL OF COLONIAL DAYS WHO HEARD THE FIRST GUN FIRED FOR INDEPENDENCE 36

MOLLY PITCHER: THE BRAVE GUNNER OF THE BATTLE OF MONMOUTH 71

ELIZABETH VAN LEW: THE GIRL WHO RISKED ALL THAT SLAVERY MIGHT BE ABOLISHED AND THE UNION PRESERVED 86

IDA LEWIS: THE GIRL WHO KEPT LIME ROCK BURNING; A HEROIC LIFE SAVER 125

CLARA BARTON: "THE ANGEL OF THE BATTLEFIELDS" 143

VIRGINIA REED: MIDNIGHT HEROINE OF THE PLAINS IN PIONEER DAYS OF AMERICA 174

LOUISA M. ALCOTT: AUTHOR OF "LITTLE WOMEN" 207

CLARA MORRIS: THE GIRL WHO WON FAME AS AN ACTRESS 236

ANNA DICKINSON: THE GIRL ORATOR 271

ILLUSTRATIONS

MOLLY PITCHER Frontispiece

POCAHONTAS SAVES CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH Facing p. 4

MISS VAN LEW BRINGING FOOD TO THE UNION SOLDIER IN THE SECRET ROOM " 108

IDA LEWIS " 128

VIRGINIA GOES FORTH TO FIND HER EXILED FATHER " 194

FOREWORD

The loyalty of Pocahontas, the patriotism of Molly Pitcher and Dorothy Quincy, the devoted service of Clara Barton, the heroism of Ida Lewis, the enthusiasm of Anna Dickinson, the fine work of Louisa Alcott all challenge the emulation of American girls of to day. Citizen soldiers on a field of service as wide as the world, young America has at this hour of national crisis its chance to win recognition for fidelity, for bravery, and for loyal service, with victory for American ideals as its golden reward, in a world "made safe for democracy."

My first aim in bringing the lives of these ten American girls from history to the attention of the girls of to day has been to inspire them to like deeds of patriotism and courage. Second only to that purpose is a desire to make young Americans realize as they read these true stories of achievement along such widely varying lines of work, that history is more thrilling than fiction, and that if they will turn from these short sketches to the longer biographies from which the facts of these stories have been taken, they will find interesting and absorbing reading.

May the book accomplish its twofold object, and so justify its publication at this time of the testing of all true Americans.

KATE DICKINSON SWEETSER.

August 1, 1917.

TEN AMERICAN GIRLS FROM HISTORY

POCAHONTAS: THE INDIAN GIRL OF THE VIRGINIA FOREST