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From: "Fran Warren" <>
Subject: Re: [ARKANSAS] Arkansas Pioneer Women- Newspaper article 1876
Date: Thu, 7 Nov 2002 17:32:26 -0600
References: <005601c285ed$e4c42b80$9fa84441@pavilion> <000401c28695$7cec3860$a0b9efd8@oemcomputer>


That is wonderful, Pat! It amazes me and gives me more admiration for our
early settlers when I read items similar to this. Good luck on your family
history and may God Bless you and yours!!

Fran
http://www.crawfordcountyarkansas.net/
Phone: 479-369-2703
----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard &Pat Stevens" <>
To: <>
Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2002 1:40 PM
Subject: Re: [ARKANSAS] Arkansas Pioneer Women- Newspaper article 1876


Thank you Fran for once again helping us to understand how our ancestors
lived. My husbands Maxwell's and Billingsley's were in Crawford Co before
it was Crawford Co. and can be found in the first census of 1821. From
there they went on to become among the first settlers into Washington Co.,
AR as soon as it was open for settlement. I have been typing up the family
history and have added some of your stories to show how things were.
Pat
----- Original Message -----
From: "Fran Warren" <>
To: <>
Sent: Wednesday, November 06, 2002 3:40 PM
Subject: [ARKANSAS] Arkansas Pioneer Women- Newspaper article 1876


> For those of you who have ancestors who settled in Western Arkansas on the
Indian Territory border, I thought the following story might be interesting
as it occurred before statehood and gives us some insight into the lives of
the pioneer women who lived "on the border" I hope you enjoy it:
>
> May 18, 1876
>
> Van Buren Argus (News paper)
>
> Crawford County, Arkansas
>
> THE BORDER HEROINE
>
> Some years ago, before the State of Arkansas was so densely populated as
now, and when the mails from Little Rock to the Western Borders were carried
on horseback, there lived some miles above Horsehead a stout pioneer named
Jacob Burnap. His wife Polly and one child nine years old made up his
family. His chief business was hunting, and his unerring rifle never failed
to supply his board and something over. His nearest neighbor lived fifteen
miles off, so he was little troubled with prying visitors.
>
> It was in the early spring that Jacob started down the river with a boat
load of furs and skins. He left Polly in charge of the premises; and he left
with her, too, a light rifle and a brace of pistols. She knew how to use the
rifle, for never was she happier than when her husband patted her on the
shoulder and said "Nobly done, Polly, my dear; I could not have made a
better shot myself."
>
> And he had occasion to say this with truth too.
>
> Jacob Burnap had been gone four days, when in the evening a horseman rode
up to the hunter’s door. He was a small, muscular man, some forty years of
age, and seem inured to all hardships. As he sprang from his saddle, Polly
made her appearance.
>
> "Ah, Polly, once more here, " the new comer said, as he pulled a
well-fitted pair of saddle-bags from the back of his fatigued beast.
>
> "Yes, and I am glad to see you. Jacob has been gone four days, and time is
getting heavy."
>
> "Jacob gone? Where?"
>
> "Down the river with a load of furs."
>
> "Oh, yes. Well, you shall have the company of Lant Morton for one night,
at least; so for the next twelve hours you’ll be safe."
>
> "Oh, I feel safe enough," returned the woman- "only a little lonesome."
>
> Thus speaking, Morton threw his saddle bags into the cabin and lead his
horse around to the shed, where he made the animal fast, and fed him.
>
> After this he returned to the house and entered and was soon discussing
the events of the time over an ample supper. His hostess told him all that
had transpired in the neighborhood since his last visit; and the visitor
gave her all the news of the eastern valley. Lant Morton had been the mail
carrier on that route for several years, and not once had he passed to and
fro without spending a night at Jacob Burnap’s. In fact, he was about the
only regular visitor at the hunter’s cabin; and although the intervals
between his visits were long, yet he seemed almost a fixture to the place.
Polly Burnap, just in the bloom of womanhood, knew his gentle, generous,
noble character, so she felt perfectly free and at home in his presence.
>
> "It is not known on the route that your load is valuable?" asked Polly.
>
> "I think not- though it may be. Still I am well armed, and I fancy it
would be a very tough job for any one to tackle old Morton.:
>
> "A man was robbed on the creek some days ago."
>
> "And the robbers have fled," added Morton, carelessly.
>
> Morton went to bed at 9 o’clock, as he was tired from his long ride. Polly
had work to do, having neglected it while talking to her guest; so after she
had seen him safe at rest, she brought her basket to the little table, and
began work upon some clothing for her child, who was soundly sleeping in a
corner.
>
> The old German clock upon the wall had struck ten ere Polly rose from the
table. She had just pushed the basket beneath the table when the front door
opened, and two men entered. They were in their stockings, their shoes
having been left on the outside.
>
> "Hush!" uttered the foremost intruder. "Speak but one word above a
whisper, and you die in a moment."
>
> Polly recovered from her quick terror, and looked up. She saw two stout,
ugly looking men, one of whom held a cocked pistol at her. With a quickness
of perception natural to her, she knew the pistol would not be fired if she
held her peace, as that would make more noise than she could make, and
further, she recognized in the foremost a notorious villian that bore the
name of Dick Gallus. She had never seen him before, but the description her
husband had given of the man led her to know him- and positively too, for
one big scar on the left cheek was mark enough.
>
> "What do you want?" asked Polly, betraying the least fear.
>
> "We have come to see the mail carrier," one replied in a hoarse voice;
"where is he? Don’t speak too loud."
>
> "He is long since asleep. Would it not do as well to see him in the
morning? We can find you and room and lodging."
>
> The fair hostess had said this for the purpose of gaining time. She knew
very well that these men had come to rob the carrier, and was equally sure
that they would murder him if they could, and would in all probability put
her out of the way as well. They had evidently learned of the valuable load
he carried, and meant to carry it in his stead.
>
> "Never mind his being asleep. Show us where he is at once," roughly
answered Gallus in answer to Polly’s last remark.
>
> "But I can call him, good sirs," reasoned the woman calmly, though there
was alarm in her soul.
>
> "Call him! Call! Growled the villain with a fierce oath. "You call him and
you will be called to another world. Quick! Show us the way."
>
> The mild eye that could aim an unerring bullet at the forest beast did not
even betray the thoughts of a woman’s soul, nor did a look tell her meaning.
She was very pale but did not tremble.
>
> "This way, sirs," she whispered.
>
> And as she spoke she turned toward a side door. She did not open it till
both the men were close behind her.
>
> "Don’t you hear him breathe?"
>
> "Yes," returned the villains.
>
> And they did hear a breathing, but it was of a child close at hand.
>
> As they thus answered her she threw the door open- it opened inward. The
men saw a dark void, but they pressed forward. In an instant Polly Burnap
leaped back. Gallus was in front. With all her power the noble woman threw
herself against the rear man, and the next moment the robbers lay sprawling
on the cellar bottom.
>
> This has been the door opening to the deep excavation, and the only means
of egress was by a perpendicular ladder. Could this have been moved, Polly
would have pulled it immediately, but it was spiked to its place, and she
must let it remain. To close the door would be useless, for she had not
ready means to fasten it. She did what she had resolved upon from the first-
she sprang to the fireplace, and caught the trusty rifle, and cocking it,
she moved toward the open door. She heard the curses of the villains as they
reached the ladder, and she soon knew that one of them had found it.
>
> "Back!" she cried, as she saw a head above the threshold.
>
> The candle upon the table threw but a dim light upon the spot, but was
sufficient. She saw the robber raise a pistol. She had a husband, a child,
and had set herself to save the carrier. With these thoughts dashing through
her mind she pulled the trigger. A sharp report went ringing through the
house, and its echo was a deep groan from the cellar bottom.
>
> Ere the second robber could show himself Morton came rushing into the room
with a pistol in each hand.
>
> "What is it?" he cried.
>
> "There! There!" gasped Polly, pointing to the doorway, where a savage
looking face had just presented itself.
>
> Lant Morton had been too much used to danger to waste time in conjecture,
and immediately shot the villain dead, who fell with a heavy sound upon the
cellar floor.
>
> In the morning just as the carrier was dressed, there was a rap at the
door, accompanied by a voice he knew full well. He hastened to open the
door, and gave entrance to Jacob Burnap. The hunter had met a party of
traders at Lewisburg and disposed of all his skins to them, thus finishing
his journey six days earlier than he had anticipated.
>
> Polly was soon upon her husband’s bosom, and when he had told them his own
story, Morton gave him the adventure. Jacob was at first incredulous, but
when he had sent he bodies he was satisfied.
>
> "Polly, my jewel", he said, placing his arm around her neck, I am proud of
you. I love you more and more, for every day I find more to love. And then,
turning to Morton, he added, "What do you think of such a wife?"
>
> "Ah!" returned the guest, with deep feeling, "if poor Lant Morton had such
a wife he wouldn’t be a mail carrier."
>
> When Morton left he was directed to stop at the first settlement and state
to the officers what had happened, and he promised to do so. He once more
blessed the brave woman who had saved his life, and then set out. Late in
the afternoon two officers arrived at the cabin and when they were shown the
dead bodies, at once proceeded to remove them. And ere a week had passed the
whole settlement blessed the border heroine for the work she had done.
>
>
>
> Fran Alverson Warren
> e-mail:
> 479-369-2703
> http://www.crawfordcountyarkansas.net/
>
>
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