The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1879-02-13
BENEDICT ARNOLD.
his Narrow Escape from Death
at the Hands Of a
Patriotic Woman.
A scrap OF UnrecOrded History

The recent death of Mrs. Ann
Hinman Kellogg,of Fairfield. Conn.
recalls an unrecorded incident of
the war of the Revolution. Mrs.
Kellogg was the daughter Of Capt
Elisha Hinman, of the United
States Navy, and her mother was
the only American who remained in
New London when the town was
destroyed by the traitor Benedict
Arnold in 1881. At that time Cap
tain Humans ship was hourly ex
pected 20 arrive at New London,
and it was hoped that he might
come in time to save the town.
Mrs. Hinman was well acquainted
with Arnold, as he had often dined
at her house, and had been a friend
of her husband. Induced by ankle
ty for her husbands safety, she re
manned after all others had fed,
and watched the entry Of the Brit
ish from the doorway of her house.
As Arnold rode up he saw and sa-
luted her, and said that if she would
should be spared. She pointed out
the houses of several of her neigh
bors as her own, and thus saved
them from destruction. Arnold re
mained on horseback near her
house nearly all day noting the bat
tie that was raging at Fort GrIs-
world, on the Groton side of the
river, where the tall monument
commemorating the event now
stands. Three times were the Brit
ish driven down the hill by the
deadly fire from the fort. Then
the ammunition of It's defenders be
came exhausted, and they were
Obliged TO surrender. The British
officer in command of the stormIng
party was so enraged at the
desperate defense of the fort that,
as he entered it, he asked, Nv no
commands here?" Colonel Led
yard replied, 81 did, but you do
now," at the same time surrender
ing his sword. The officer received
the sword and instantly plunged 1t
into the heart of the gallant
Colonel. An American officer,
standing beside his Colonel, snatch
ed his own sword from its scabbard
and in u moment the cowardly
Briton lay dead beside his victim.
An indiscriminate massacre of all
within the fort followed, and thirty
wounded Americans were piled
into a wagon that was rolled down
a steep hillside to the bottom, where
it was dashed in pieces against a
tree. Then hurried preparations
were made to evacuate their posi-
tion by the British, Arnold having
learned of the expected arrival OF
Captain Hiuman.
Mrs. HinmaD, having witnessed
these Outrages from her housetop
became so incensed against the
traitor that she hurriedly descend
ed from the roof, took a musket
from a closet where it had been left
the day before by an American
soldier, and leveled it at Arnold, as
he sat on his horse In front of her
house. Taking long, steady aim
she pulled the trigger, but the gnn
missed fire. Hearing the snap OF
the lock, Arnold turned and asked
her what that noise was. With
great presence of mind she had
dropped the gun, so that he did not
see it, and she answered that it was
the breaking of a chair.
This incident formed the subject
of a painting by Huntington, the
artist, whose wife is a grand niece
of Mrs. Hinman. This painting is
now in the possession of Mr.. Thorn
as Day, of Bergen Point, N. j. In
it Mrs. Hinman is represented as
leveling a musket at Arnold from =
window of her house, and the burn
ing town is seen in the background.
The remains of both Captain and
Mrs. Hinman now lie in the Cedar
Grove Cemetery at New London,
where their monument is one OF
the finest to be seen.- New York
Times.