This sweet little lady is said to have killed an enemy soldier during the Civil War. How did she do it? The answer will give you new respect for a humble kitchen utensil.

William M. Kimbrough and Sarah Dearing Kimbrough were newlyweds when the Civil War broke out. He was 27 and she was but 17, and they had married less than two months before the war began. They lived just across the county line, on the Giles County side of Weakley Creek Road.

Bill, as he was known, volunteered for service in the Confederate army in 1862, and served for two years in the 32nd Tennessee Infantry, until his capture in the summer of 1864.

One day, as the family story goes, a Union soldier forced his way into the kitchen. Thinking fast, Sarah grabbed the first thing she had available to defend herself: a rolling pin, which she then used to beat the man to death.

Whether it is true or not, this family legend underscores the great dangers faced by many women during the Civil War, especially if their husbands and sons were away serving in the military.