The Orangeburg democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1879-1881, 1879-01-31

f''oh bEA1i al liz HANDS OE. n WO-
MAN.
The recent death Of Mrs. Ann Hin
man Kellogg. OF Fairfield, Conn, in
the ninety-third year Of her age, re-
calls an unrccorded incident Of. the
war of the revolution. Mrs. Kellogg
was the daughter Of Captain Elisha
llinman, of the United States navy,
and her mother was the only Amcri-
can who remained in New London
when the town was destroyed by the
traitor Benedict Arnold, in 1881. At
that time Capt. Humans ship was
hourly expected TO arrive at New
London, and it was hoped that he
might come In time to save the town.
Mrs. llinman was we'll acquitted
with Arnold, as he had oflen dincd
at her house, and had been friend
of her husband. Induced by anxiety
for her husbands safety, she remain.
ed after all others had fled, and saw
the entry Of the British from the door
way of her house. AS Arnold rode
up lie saw and saluted her, and said
that if she would point out her own
property it should be spared. She
pointed out the houses of several of
her ncighboTs as her own, and thus
saved them from destruction. Arnold
remained on horseback near her
house nearly all day, noting the battle
that was raging at Fort Guswold, on
the Groton side of the river, where
the tall monument commemorative
the event now stands.
Three times were the British driv-
EN- down the hill by the deadly fire
from the fort. Then tile ammunition
Of its defenders became exhausted,
and they were obliged to surrender.
The British officer in command of the
storming party was SO cnraged at the
desperate defense of the fort, that, as
he entered it, he asked: "Who COM
mands here?" Colonel Lethard re.
piled: 81 did, but you do now," at
the same. time surrendering his
sword. The officer received the
sword and instantly plunged it into
the heart of the gallant colonel. An
American officer, standing beside his
c)lonel, snatched his own sword from
its scabbard, and, in moment, the
cowardly Briton lay dead beside his
victim. An indiscrimiuate massacre
of all within the fort followed, and
thirty Of the wounded Americans
were piled into wagon, that was
rolled down steep hillside TO the
bottom, where it was dashed in pieces
against Ii tree. Then hurried prcpa-
rations were made to evacuatc their
position by the British, Arnold hav-
ing learned Of the expected arrival of
Captain Hinman.
Mrs. Ilnman, having witnessed
thcse outragcs from her housc.op. be-
came so much inccnsed against the
traitor that she hurricdly dcscctdcd
from the roof. took a muskct from
the closet, where it had been left the
day before by IN American soldier,
and lcvcllcd it at Arnold rs lie sat on
his horse in front Of the house. TAX
ing long, steady aim, she pulled
the trigger, but the piece missed fire.
Hearing The snap Of tho lock, Arnold
turned and asked her what that noise
was. With great presence of mind,
she dropped the gun so that he did
not see it, and she answered that it
was the breaking Of . chair.
This incident formed the subject Of
painting by Huntington, the artist,
whose wife is grand niece of Mrs.
llinman. This painting is now in
the possession Of Mr.. Thomas Day,
OF Bergen Point, N. j. In it Mrs.
Hinman is represented as lrvclling n
musket at Arnold from window in
her house, and the burning town is
seen in the background. The re-
mains OF both Captain and Mrs. Hin
man now lie in the Cedar Grove
cemetery at New London, where their
monument is one Of the finest to be
seen.
Beheaded at Prayer.