All the Women are Strong...

One of my dad's distant relatives put together a very big history book tracing the family back to the ship (called Ship Friendship) which left Cowes, England on June 20th, 1727 and arrived in Philadelphia on October 16th, 1727. It carried my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather Johannes.

One of my favorite parts of the book is the writings of my distant relatives which speak of their love for God, their adventures, their real estate purchases, and various bits of history.

My absolute favorite section is something someone wrote about my great, great, great, great grandfather's niece. Her name was Ruth Buckwalter. Isn't that a great name. She was born on April 23, 1763.

Here's what is written about her:

Ruth grew up to be a stout and handsome young woman and it is a family saying that during the winter of 1777, while her father and brothers were in General Washington's army at Valley Forge, a British foraging party came to steal their hay, and she and her mother and sisters, armed with pitchforks, bayonets, such weapons as they possessed, successfully drove them (the marauders) from the barn and premises. The foragers had gotten so far as to have the hay partly loaded, having men in the mow pitching hay down to the wagon. When they were discovered, Ruth climbed upon the wagon, drove the man off who was loading, and pitched the hay from the wagon. They made several efforts to reload, but when ever they made the attempt, Ruth rolled the hay off the other side, and when they attempted to take her from the wagon, she would thrust, or bayonet them with the pitchfork. Finally the foragers became tired of this kind of strategy and retreated. On two other occasions during the same winter, their premises were raided by British marauders and a squad of soldiers took possession of the house and were quartered there for some time, compelling the family to provide from their household provisions and cook the same for them. The soldiers remained until all was eaten. On one occasion when Ruth was carving meat for them, one of the soldiers offered her an indignity, whereupon she slashed him with the carving knife. Another time the English soldiers drove off a fine herd of horses.

Ruth was 14 when all this happened! I'm looking forward to meeting Ruth one day and am glad I come from "strong stock". From people who are willing to say, "Enough! Stop!"