THE CHARACTER OF SUSANNA BOLLING

Abigail Robinson

You may have heard of many Revolutionary War heroes, including George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette, but you probably have not heard about Susanna Bolling, the girl who snuck out to save America and win the Revolutionary War. Susanna was a young girl in the Revolutionary War. She lived on Bollingbrook Plantation in City Point, Virginia. Susanna was very patriotic and passionate about America, and she would do almost anything for her newborn country. Susanna’s Midnight Ride by Libby Carty McNamee shows that Susanna Bolling was sneaky, persistent, and tough.

Susanna Bolling was very sneaky. She eavesdropped at a pub to hear what was going on with the war (35). Even though she could have been caught, Susanna took the risk and blended in with the noisy crowd to not be noticed. Another example of this is that Susanna left in the middle of the night to warn General Lafayette of his planned kidnapping (169). This was sneaky because she did not let the British Redcoats see her, and silently slipped out of the tunnel. Finally, Susanna was swift and clever enough to take Raven, a neighbor’s young Black Stallion, and bring her back in time to hide her from the Redcoats (171). She snuck into the barn, and then Susanna quickly and quietly rode Raven twenty miles to Half Way House and back without anyone seeing her. Eavesdropping, sneaking out, and taking Raven unseen for twenty miles and back are just a few of the many examples showing that Susanna Bolling is brave.

Another trait Susanna possessed was persistence. For example, she stood up for Jefferson (100). Even when the men were telling her to back off like she was just a little girl who should not think of politics at all, Susanna kept arguing back until people stood on her side. Another example of Susanna’s determination and perseverance was when she convinced her mother to let her save Lafayette and America (155). Even though Mother was very skeptical, Susanna would not take no for an answer and kept fighting until she gave in. Lastly, when the guards she had to pass to reach Lafayette thought she was a silly little girl and told her to go away, Susanna stayed put (178). She kept yelling at them to open the door (or lose the war) enough to wake up Lafayette and finally convince the guards to let her in. Susanna Bolling’s persistence was essential to win the war.

Lastly, Susanna was very tough. For example, she got hit by a huge tree branch while riding in the night (173). However, Susanna only took a short stop and carried on. Also, on page 177, Susanna sprained her ankle. Even though she could barely move, she kept going. Another example is when Susanna had to leave Stith behind (189). She had not seen her brother in five years, and could not bear to lose him again, but she did it for freedom and her country, America. Tough is a very accurate description of Susanna Bolling.

Three words to describe Susanna Bolling are sneaky, persistent, and tough. Because of these traits, Susanna saved America, and became “The Girl Who Won The Revolutionary War.” Her sneakiness let her get to the Half Way House to warn Lafayette. Her persistence got her past guards and other obstacles in her life. And Susanna Bolling’s toughness took her all the way, even with grim conditions. Her story proves that even when others make you feel small, there is always a way to push through to greatness for your country, family, and home.

Uncle Tom

JP Kirkowski

The sky was open, the lush grass still wet. The air smelled like fresh, fertile soil. I was playing wiffle ball with my uncle in my grandparent’s Massachusetts backyard. It had just rained. Boy, I thought, it sure does rain a lot in Massachusetts. I pitched to my Uncle Andrew, and he hit the ball deep to the right. I ran to get it. As I was picking the ball up, I glanced at the table by the back door.

There he was, sitting by the table near the back door. He had wrinkled skin, grayish-white hair, and the great big grin on his face that I knew so well. Tom, my great-uncle, was a sight for sore eyes. My heart burst open with excitement as I dashed over to hug him. But then I remembered that he was older now and had some health problems, so I slowed down. We hugged for what seemed like forever. I felt so happy and lucky to have a great-uncle like Uncle Tom. Little did I know, I had a limited amount of time left with him. He asked me, “How’ve you been, champ?” His calm, witty voice soothed me like a refreshing gulp of cold water.

“Amazing!” I replied, so impatient to tell him everything I had done since the last time I had seen him. We talked a bit longer. Eventually, my grandma said it was time for Uncle Tom to go back to his house. We said our goodbyes, and he left. After he left, I had a sickening feeling in my stomach, like someone had punched me as hard as they could with a boxing glove.

A few months later, back in California, my mom came up to me with a gloomy look on her face. I knew something was wrong. “I have some tragic news,” she said. “Uncle Tom has passed.” Without me even realizing it, my eyes welled up with tears. All the games he would play with us and all the jokes he would tell would never be played or told again. If only I had known that he was going to die so soon. Maybe I could have at least tried to spend more time with him.

We were on our way back to Massachusetts again a week after we heard the news, but not for a fun vacation. We were coming back for Uncle Tom’s funeral. Everyone was there: uncles, aunts, grandpas, and grandmas. There were even people I had never seen before. Everyone gave speeches about their memories with Great Uncle Tom. No matter how fun the memories were, no one giving a speech could make it to the end without shedding a tear (or twenty). It felt like time in the church had stopped, and everyone could feel the uneasiness in the air. Anyone who saw us sulking out of the church at the end of the funeral would think a gallon of water had drenched us, we were so tear-stained. There was even a man who needed help walking out of the church because he was so miserable that he could not do it on his own. We got in our car and drove in the opposite direction of our grandparents’ house. “Dad,” I whimpered between sniffles, “where are we going now?”

“We’re going to a restaurant with everyone else,” my dad replied, clearly trying to fight back his tears. On the way there, I thought about many things about Uncle Tom. Should I have said more things to him? Played more games? Hugged him one more time? My mom seemed to notice my regretful thoughts and put a hand on my shoulder. She smiled at me and I smiled back. I now knew everything was going to be okay.

Now, more than a year later, I frequently think of Uncle Tom, especially when I visit my grandparents’ house. Every time I walk down the hall, I see a framed picture of him smiling his great smile. I smile back at him every time. I realize now that I had enjoyed and made the most of the time that he was here with me. I know everything is going to be okay. Uncle Tom may be gone, but he will live in our hearts forever.

Sixth Grade