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Sarah Tarrant

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Sarah Tarrant
Born13 May 1743
Massachusetts

Sarah Tarrant (1743 – May 13, 1828, in Salem, Massachusetts[1]) was a nurse.[2] She is remembered for her bravery in challenging the British soldiers who occupied Salem during military actions prior to the American Revolutionary War.

On Sunday, February 26, 1775, a battalion of British infantry, under Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Leslie, was sent to Salem to look for colonial weapons. Sarah Tarrant shouted at them from a window, "Go home and tell your master he sent you on a fool's errand and has broken the peace of our Sabbath.[3] Do you think we were born in the woods, to be frightened of owls?" A soldier aimed his musket at her, and she dared him, "Fire, if you have the courage, but I doubt it."[4][2] No shots were fired, and the British, having found no weapons, left the town.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Massachusetts Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910". FamilySearch. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  2. ^ a b Ayres, Thomas (2004). That's Not in My American History Book: A Compilation of Little Known Events and Forgotten Heroes. Taylor Trade Publications. pp. 30, 32. ISBN 9781589791077. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  3. ^ Turk, Jerome; Walsh, Edw. (23 February 1975). "Word battle almost causes bloodshed in Salem". Austin American-Statesman. Austin, Texas. p. B4. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  4. ^ Endicott, Charles M[oses] (1856). Account of Leslie's Retreat at the North Bridge in Salem, on Sunday, Feb'y 26, 1775. Salem: Wm. Ives and Geo. W. Pease Printers. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
    - Hackett Fischer, David (1995). Paul Revere's Ride (Revised ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 63-64. ISBN 9780195098310. Retrieved 25 November 2019. Sarah Tarrant Salem.
  5. ^ Axelrod, Alan (2009). The Real History of the American Revolution: A New Look at the Past. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. p. 80. ISBN 9781402768163. Retrieved 25 November 2019.