CELEBRATED WOMEN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2427, 19 September 1900, Page 63

CELEBRATED WOMEN.

(Contributed to Leeds Mercury.)

Ai the commencement of the century ■which is coining to a close, Virginie Ghesquiere, sergeant in the 27th Regiment of Infantry, was decorated with the Legion of Honour for gallantry 111 face of the enemy, and Marie Schellinck, sub-lieutenant in the 42nd Regiment of Infantry, was rewarded with the same distinction for her pluck. The Duehesse de Berry, mother of the CJomte de Chanibord, the last of the elder branch of the Royal Family of France, made a daring pjitempu to rouse the people of La Vendee to revolt during the reign of Louis Philippe, and was imprisoned ior some time at Blaye for her pains. The ex-Queen of Naples, sister of the late Umpress of Austria, pLrved a brilliant part at the siege of Goeta, when, placing herself at the head of her husband's beleaguered avmy, she walked about the ramparts under a hail of bullets, and infused her indomitable courage into the hearts of the mopt timid by her splendid attitude before the enemy. We have seen how pluckily Madame Velasquez behaved in the American Civil War. SaraJi Edmonds, who recently died in Texas, proved equally daring. She v.-as "the daughter of a New Brunswick fanner, and had spent her early years on horseLack and in the fields. She could ride, limit, shoot, and skate as well as any man. When the Civil War broke out, she at once got into breeches, and siding with the North, threw herself heart and soul Into the terrible conflict. She particularly distinguished herself as a scout. No mission was too dangerous for her to under-ta-ke. Eleven times she penetrated the enemy's lines in disguises of various kinds, bringing back information of priceless value. Daily she fought with the men in the trenches, and the day's fighting over, she passed the nights nursing the wounded and comforting the dying. I can myself bear testimony to the gallantry of Jessie White-Mario during the Franco-Germwi war. Whilst I was acting as orderly officer to General Garibaldi, and wai correspondent of the Daily NeM &, Signora Mario was representing .the New V ork Tribune, and giving an eye to the ambulances. Ido not think she ever killed anyone. In fact, she never 'went about with anything more deadly than a riding whip an I a toy revolver. But she was a mos.l daring, determined woman, with a fine nerve, and went frequently under fire, besides undertaking some most dangerous excursions through the enemy's lines. Jessie White was the daughter of- old John While, the famous yacht-builder of Ccwea She left home when still in her teens to study art at Paris. From there sha emigrated to Italy, pi-.id soon identified Lerself with the Gaiibaldians and Italian unity. Putting aside the brush and pencil for "the pen, she, as far- back as -1857 v , was contributing articles to the Daily News on "Italy for the Italians." Led to the alta' by Alberto Mario, one of Garibaldi's officers, she became Jessie White-Mario. While supplying the Daily News with letters from Genoa and Bologna, she managed to get locked up in St. Andrea, where she "was very scon joined *by her hu&bind. It ■was only two months lp;ter that the- pair were released, and sent across the frontier under escort. The authorities having made Italy rather too warm for the gifted daughter of Mr John White, she set out on -a tour of the United States, and returning to the land of Danta in 1859, promptly joined Garibaldi's camp to report foi her old newspaper. She went through the whole of that exciting campaign in the two Sicilies which practically set Italy free, and rode up to Naples through the Calabrias, with the ever-conquering Gjribaldian army. I saw a good deal of her in 1870, a.nd at one timo and another we rode scores of miles together. In those days she wa«= amost bright, -intelligent, energetic little lady, lilheseine as~ a reed, with pierekig_ pale-blue ej-es. a freckled face, and light auburn hair. She spoke Italian and French -with grer4 fluency, " and possessed a facile pen. She had a good seat in the pigskin, which she sat in the orthodox lady fashion, and smoked big dears, and tp.ckled a long • drink, when she felt th^.t Tiay, like a nun. She was generally mistaken by the French for Goribaldi's daughter, and in consequence £ot well looked after in the villages. The first victim of the rebellion in the Philippines, in 1895. was Jose' Rizal, a doctor. Convicted of treason, he wa« secured to a lamp post, and shot in the back by a picket of Spanish soldiers. Just before his execution he had been wedded, in jzaol, to a beautiful vonn« Iri«-h girl named Josephine Brroken, and hid been torn from he- arms to meet his doom. Little wonder if the bride, r-o brutally •widowed, vowed vengeance on her husband's executioners. Immediately joining the lebels, sha became one of the most'intrepid among them, and in the very first ' engagement, finding her way to the thickest part of the .fisrhling. picked off a Spanish officer ns he led his men forward. For months and months the reckless daring of this pallp.nt daughter of liibernia was the talk of every insurgent. She seemed to have a charmed life, for however thick the bullets came she escaped unhurt. At the commencement of 1899 the United States Hospital Corps, while searching for the wounded .round Paco and Santa Ana, in the Philippines, ecme upon seve/p-l -women dressed in men's nnifoim?. and with close-cropped hair. Jn the Cuban msmiifction against the-. Spaniards- more than ore ■woman distinguished herself in battle, and somewhere" In South America there was ./i dashing lady w arrior who captured a town, and held it for several week?. Coming now to the war in '-''Midi '\fiiii. there seem? to be no doubt thil lint ' women have been assisting the nm.) \c ! cording to a drummer in the B"i It l U- | giinent, the dead killed by the iu-.m <±un^ j ct Colenso included many Womuu, and even

chiMren, who had been engaged in refilling t'l3 enemy's bandoliers. A Scottish Rifles sergeant, in a letter home, confirms, this statement. Hs says that after the battle, pits several feet deep were piled with Boer derd, the bodies including women and children who had been carrying ammunition to the firing parties.

The lady who has been contributing to the Daily Telegraph the interesting diary of the war from Pietermarllaburg relates that after the relief of Ladysniith two wo-ir-en were found dying in 'the Boer trenches. C;:e of them was a girl of nineteen. "She said her husband had made her stay, as she v.-?.-; a good shot." And the lady adds, '"Xomv.y's indignation was very great.'' And ,we]l it might be. Xumeroils articles of female atcire ha-re been found from time ii lime in the enemy's trenches. One of ihe British prisoners, writing, home from Pretoria, mentions the humiliating circumf lance that lie &:id his companions were chiefly guarded by Boer women armed to tlie teeth."

'On our side we have a perfect heroine in Lady Sarah Wilson. ' She was at Mafeking Aihen war broke out, but one morning soon after the commencement of the siege, she took it into her head to ride across to Setlagoli Hotel, and Firming there the same evening, was welcomed with every kindness. Dining the, night her slumber was distui bed by the rattle of rifle's, and the thunder of cannon. It was poor Ne&bitt fighting desperately, unable to ger backward or foi"H ard, but holding the wrecked aimourcd train to the l.isl.

A«day or two after the fight Lady Sarah got into the pigskin again, and pluckilv galloping to the scene, took a photograph of the wreck. Finding thr.t her piesence at Seliagoli exposed her friends to the insults of the Boers. &he moved to Mosuti, wfliera she enjoyed the hospitality of a colonial fanner. By giving heavy bribes she wa> able to persuade natives to carry dcspr.tehes to good old Baden-Powell.

The most extraordinary yarns were in circulation r.bout her amone; the Boors. i'"-i 3 fc of all she was said to be the iufe of en English general. Then she was believed cO be a grand-daughter of the Queen.

After she had been at Mosuti some time, and away from Mafeking a month, she bec,ah to find life slow, end there being m news to be picked up in the homely hc-mpstead where had found quarters, sho decided she would "o and see how they v. ere setting on at Vryburg. A young Boer drove her there, passing her off 'as his s.ster, and once in the town, she found .lecommodatkm at an hoiel kept by s, Icvali&t, who gave her official despatches and new.=. To ovoid attract '/)•» attention she remained in her room all day, and at night went out to get a brer.th* of fresh ai" and visit the hospital. It was not long before the Boers ascertained that Lady Sarah Wilson had been running despatches into Mafeking, and in fear of arrest, she determined to make her way back to the litjtle fortress as speedily as possible. But instead of getting to Mafeking, the gallant Lady Sarah accidentally found her way into General Snyman's. camp, and the General, delighted at his capture, would neither allow her to go on to Mafeking nor back to Setlagoli. He talked of despatching her to Zeerust as prisoner of wai, but on consideration expressed his willingness to exchange her for a notorious horee thief named Vilioen, who had fallen into the hands- of "Baden-Powell. As soon as ever the latter hoard what the terms ■uere, he set the horse thief at liberty, and Lidy Sarah WP^nn promptly made her appearance in Mafeking again" to the joy of her husband and every one else.

Aftei lhal, she lcnviined a fixluio in the Hif'o beleaguered fortress to the end. dividii ] M her j[imc between the Daily Mail and 'i' hospital. She lived in a bomb-proof <!n Itci of her own, excavated under Mr .luktis Weil's piivatc residence, ln this <v .some, dork hole, she was able to nuike

herself fairly comfortable, and had a whisky and soda and a cigarette to offer any visitors who might give her a call.

Lady Sarah is the youngest daughter of the seventh Duke of Maryborough. Her sisters are Lady Wimborne, Lady de Ramsay, Lady Tweedinouth, the Duchess of Roxburghe, and Lady .Georgi ana Curzon. There is a score of years between this dashing lady and the eldest of these sisters.

Ln the days of her j oivEh Lady Sarah was rather strictly brought up ; but since her marriage in 1891 to Captain Gordon Wilson, of the "Blues," the eldest son of tlie late Sir Samuel Wilson, an Australian millionaire, «he has one oi the smartest of the young married women of society, and latterly has been in the front row of fashion. She dresses perfectly, when in society, frequents, Nev, market, and is a welcome guest at all the best country houses.

Medium in height, she pos&e.-ses raven hair, and well marked eyebrows. She has two or three little children running about at Brooksby Hall, her country home, near Leicester, where she and her husband spend most of the winter months, and hunt regularly with the Quorn and Cottesmore hounds. It was at- the pnd of last July that Captain and Lady Sarah Wilson went to South Africa, ■« here, previous to the outbreak of hostiliiies, they weie for many weeks the guests of Mi- Cecil Rhodes.