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.

Sarah Tarrant
Born13 May 1743
Massachusetts

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.