Huntington advertiser. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1874-1921, 1874-04-23
MARY BUTLER's RIDE

| ACTUALLY OiAnSo ". " ~
woman of Gilmanton at the opening
of the American revolution. Mary
Butler, a native Of Brentwood, be
came the wife of Lieut.. Ebenezel
Eastman, of GilmantOn, Nov. 10TH
l1773. Lieut.. Ebenezer was son o.
Samuel, Jr., of Kingston, who was s
son of Samuel, Esq, of Kingston, who
was son Of Roger, who settled il
Salisbury, Mass, in 1910. Lieut.
Ebenezer, born in Kingston. Apri
a, 1746, was 90 years old when the
revolution opened, and was full OF the
courageous and patriotic ardor which
carried our fathers through the long
strife.
Immediately, on learning of the
news of the opening drama, which
occurred at Lexington, April 18th
I1775, and which few up here on the
wings of the wind, a company wa;
organized in Gilmanton, ready tc
march at any moment. This compa,
nv was mustered into Captain Aaron
Kinsman's company in the First \
H. Regiment, under Col. Stark April
%, 1775. When the alarm came,
twelve of these men-Ebenezer East
man, Lieut.; Joshua Danforth, Ser
geant; John Mudgett, Corporal; and
Thomas Flanders, Stephen Dudley,
| ir., John Folsom, Moses Moulton, Ed
ward Sinkler, Thomas FrohOck, Dud
lev Hutchinson, Levi Hutchinson,
BENJAMIN Cotton, son of John, iona
than Currier, son of Thomas, and
Nathaniel Fox, son of John, Pri
vates-marched under Lieut. East
man, who, in the absence of kins
man, commanded his company, which
bore conspicuous part al Bunker
Hill. They belonged TO the detach
ment which, the night before the
battle, threw up the intrenchment:
on Breeds Hill They worked with
all their might, being relieved every
two hours; but some of the iron men,
Frohock, of Gilmauton, being one OF
them. buckled down TO the work al
night until the dawn of day, re
doubt S rods square being completed
at tina; hour. Lieut.. Eastman's com
pany held no place i'll any intrench'
ment, being posted with Col. Stark
on the left, behind the fence, whence,
IN the words Of the official record,
they sorely CALLED the British as they
advsnved TO the attack and cut them
down by whole ranks al once An'
drew McClary, of Epson, Major oi
the regiment, brave officer, splen
did in person, six feet and a hall
high. "the handsomest officer in the
army" having occasion during the
strife To return in the fiery track
across Charlestown neck, took Lieut.,
Eastman with him; and he had just
responded TO the suggestion of Lieut.
Eastman pertaining to the deadly
shower of missiles falling around them
that "the ball was not vet cast which
was to kill him. when flash from
British ship, and Major McClary fel
diving, a cannon ball passing through
| his abdomen. tearing out ais entrails
Binding up the wound with his hand
kerchief, he left him gasping in death
and rejoined the regiment with th'
distressing news.
Mary Butler was at 4 meeting sun
dav, June II. 1875, the day on which
the Bunker Hill battle was fought
and heard a sermon from Rev. Isaac
Smith, who had been ordained owe
the church Nov. 80, 1774, some sil
and a half months before, the churci
being organized at the same time
The ordination took place at lothian
Gilman's barn, where the Gilmantol
Poor house was afterwards built =
Perhaps it was there that the sermon
were that day preached, in the sam
place, as the meeting house, the fram
of which was built in l774, had n
floor nor pulpit till as late as l7V.-
The tradition is that while they wer
assembled at their place OF W Irship
the flying news came that a battl
was raging on CharlestOwn heights
and that Lieut.. Eastman had fallen
mortally wounded. With intense an
guish, Mary Butler went home, he
friends trying to pacify her with tn
suggestion that the rumor was onl
imagination, as no intelligence coul
have been transmitted in so brief
time, and this seemed reasonable I
her.
She had but one child, q littl
daughter whose name was Abigail
but three weeks old, and on arrivin
at her home her resolve was fixed
With the utmost expedition her a
rangements were completed, an
mounting on horseback with her il
fant in her arms, she took up th
reins, and through a thick wilderne.
the most Of the way, with no road {
any kind but track marked only b
spotted trees, she rode a distance
10 miles, TO her fathers house in tt
town of Brentwood, near Excite
before letting fall the reins. Her
the news of the battle was confirmed
This intensified her anxiety as to ii
fate of her husband, of whom nothing
there, was known; and 50, leavin
her little child with the grandparent
: she again mounted the horse, an