The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1888-04-14
Hours With Men and Women Of
the Revolution.
"MorHER BAILEY" AND TWO WARS FOR
INDEPFNDFNCF

MOTHER BAILEY" AND TWO WARS FOR
INDEPENDENCE.
Copyrighted, 1888, by Funk & Wognals. |
In tho early autumn of 1S4s 1 soioirned
few days at New London on the Thames,
in Connecticut, and visited places of inter
est in the vicinity. Pre-eminent among
these was Mount Ledyard or Groton
Heights, on the opposite side of the river,
which is surmounted by tall granite ODE.
llsk one hundred and twenty-seven feet
high. 1t was erected in 1880 near the di-
lapidated old Fort Griswold, then without
| ordnance or garrison, to commemorate the
deeds of braye patriots who persisted there
in brutal massacre, while helpless prison.
err, by British and German soldiers, led BY
Anew Jersey Tory, in September, 1881.
l crossed the Thames on bright MORN
ing and was climbing the hill on which the
! monument stands when met an old resi-
dent of Groton, little village opposite
New London. He was small boy when
the massacre occurred, and remembered it,
but could give very little Information. He
referred me to "Mother Bailey" the post
mistress at Groton, who was young wo
man at the time, and whose lover, who be
came her husband, narrowly escaped.
After visiting the fort and monument
called on Mrs. Bailey and was amply re-
warded. She was then over eightv-fye
years of age. She sat reading her Bible
when | entered her room, and she arose
with pleasant smile of welcome that
frightened her wrinkled face. / had been
forewarned that she was a most ardent pol.
ltician of the Democratic school, and thai
If | was political friend of General Tay.
lor, the then Wing candidate for the Presi.
dency of the Republic, l need not expect
any Information from her, for she could
not,tolerate political opponent. So fore.
warned, | was foTearmed; and when her
almost first uttered words were, ''What are
Cass's prospects in New York;" l declared
my belief (which was sincere) that he would
be elected, and added, with some mental
reservation, cat any rate he OUGHT to be
elected" This was the key that unlocked
the casket of her kindly feeling, and | spent
an nour agreeably and proftaby with her.
Mrs. Bailey had been made widow only
very short time before my visit, by til,
death of her husband, Captain Elijah Bal.
lev, who had held the Office of postmaster
at Groton for the space of forty years. He
was appointed by President jefferson in
1908 At his death his official mantle was
placed upon the shoulders of his venerable
widow. He too was an ardent politician.
but was surpassed in partisan zeal by his
wife, who IN the establishment of her room
exhibited the intensity of her partisanship.
There were Autographed likenesses OF
Jackson and Van Buren,, from whose heads
she had received locks of hair, which she
shovel me. Their portraits we're hung in
good light, while those of the Wings,
Clay and Frelinghuysen, were in an OBJ
scure place, with their heads downward.
Mrs. Bailey gave me an interesting ac-
count of some of the incidents of that fatal
morning at Fort Griswold. The garrison
was commanded by Colonel William Led
yard, native of Groton- and friend of
her father He lived not far from the fort,
and the home of Mrs. Bailey was in full
sight of II. The invaders were led by the
traitor, Benedict Arnold. They landed In
two divisions, one under Colonel Eyre, on
the east or Groton side of the Thames, and
the other, under Arnold, on the New Lon
don side The militia focked 10 the fort
in such hsste that many of them were with
out arms Arnold burned New London
Ere marched against Fort Griswold.
81 saw the American flag that was flying
oyer the southwest bastion shot down."
said Mrs. Bailey. "The Hessians made a
furious assault on the fort, and hard fight
continued for about three-quarters of an
hour. Colonel Eyre was mortally wound
ed, and Major Bromdeld Il was told, a
wicked New Jersey Tory, took the com
mand. Very soon the assailants broke into
the fort, where, as was told afterward
Bromdeld demanded of Colonel Ledyard
'Who commands this fort?' The Colonel
politely replied 4 did, sir, but you do
now,' and handed the Major his sword.
Bromfeld Immediately ran Colonel Led
yard through With his own sword, and so
murdered him. The Hessians and Tories
followed the example of their leader, and
murdered no less than seventy Of the de-
fenseless garrison and badly wounded forty
five others. The savages would not allow
the wounded drop Of water, They left
during the night by the light of burning
New London, which Arnold had set on
fire. The next morning saw Fanny Led
yard, who was visiting the family of the
murdered Colonel, come crying out Of the
sally-port, for she had seen the dead body
of her uncle. She had gone cautiously into
the fort, with two pals cf water, not know
ing whether the rufiians had left She was
the first TO moisten the lips Of the poor
sufferers"
Mrs. BaileYs late husband, then youth
about seventeen years old, was in the fort
Just previous to the attack He and Mr..
williams were ordered 10 man a gun At a
redoubt in advance of the fort They were
directed, IN the event Of their not being