Page 134 - Arkansas Confederate Women

BRAVERY OF MRS CLAY ROBINSON

By Mrs. J. G. Poindexter, of Imboden.
As my mother Mrs. Clay Robinson, is not living to help
write the history of "Woman in the War," I will give you a few

instances of which I have heard her often talk.
She carried a message from Clover Bend to Jacksonport

or near there to Gen. Dandrige McRae, who was at that time
with his command at Jacksonport. I think this message was
from Gen. Sterling Price. The courier who started with it to
Jacksonport was taken suddenly very sick and was compelled

to stop at Kinion's at Clover Bend. My mother was there

visiting. When she learned the state of affairs and that it was
very necessary that the dispatch reach Gen. McRae within a
few hours, she offered to take the dispatch to Gen. McRae for
him. The courier told her that it was too great an undertaking,

as she would be risking her life, to say nothing of the loss of the
dispatches, should she be captured. She told him she was will-
ing to run the risk and would give her life before surrendering
the dispatch, if he would trust her.

She was then 21 -years old and was the widow of Clay Rob-
inson, who had died a short time before from measles and ex-
posure contracted in the army.

Finally the soldier gave her the dispatch and told her to
take it to Bob Gray near Jacksonport, a distance of about 30

miles.

She was accompanied by a young lady, I believe it was Miss

Emma Kinion, who is now Mrs. Ben Bush and lives two miles

below Clover Bend. They started late in the evening and when
about 10 miles from home they met two men. The women rode
on the shady side of the road. The moon was shining and one
said "Good evening, gentlemen." The other whistled a hymn
as they passed. When they were a few yards past, the men
stopped and one of them said "halt !" but the women rode on
as if they had not heard the command. The men then started