The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-06-05
CORRESPONDENCE.



A Woman that Met her Death at the Battle
of Bennington
By an oversight page third of the MS
was omitted last week. 1t is hereby
printed with the omission, being a mat
ter of history and an important contri'
bution.-ED.
EDITOR BANNER, Dear Sir:-It is moi
an unknown occurrence that the aglta-
ton of a subject, although it may have
been quite forgotten, has awakened an
interest, freshened the memory and
brought to light facts that have led to an
interesting and valuable result. If this
communication should prove so fOrtu-
nate, it will be time and labor well eX-
pended. In asking you to publish the
subjoined narrative, desire to say, that
whether from sense of woman's claim
to universal protection under all circum-
stances, because of her sex, or from the
fact that the incident related occupies no
place upon the page of history, or that
| tradition has contributed 50 little to its
publicity, or from all combined, some
people and among them, historians, have
expressed q disbelief of its occurrence.
l shall therefore contine myself to a rela-
ton of the incidents, precisely as they
have been related to me and leave the
reader to form his own conclusions,
either of their bearing upon the gallantry
of the "Green Mountain Boys" the
rules of war that exact such severe dis
cipline, or of their truth or falsity.
Should this publication induce enquiry
or criticism or other statements that
tend to throw any light upon the subject
the Press offers gratuitOus opportu-
nity to make them public.
About the year 1910 a Mr.. Crittenden
from Richmond, Mass, relative of the
late A. II. Wills, Esq, of Bennington
village, called at the residence of my
grandfather, Gen. David Robinson,
(which was then as now my own resi-
dence) and remained by invitation to
dinner. My grandfather was then about
years old, and Mr.. Crittenden, |
whose baptismal name think was Levi, |
was perhaps few years younger. Both |
were soldiers in the battle of Benning- |
ton. Mr. Crittenden, during his visit,
said that prior to the active engagement
Of the battle, he saw woman who
was dressed in white and upon horse
back, ride from the west and over the
bridge Barnet bridge) and after making
4 limited circuit east of the bridge, some
Of the men in his company shot and
killed her, and that he afterwards saw
ler as she lay upon the west bank of the
liver near the bridge. Mr.. Crittenden
was gentleman of good address and the
lossessor of more than ordinary intelli-
renee and was honored by an invitation
rom our fellow citizens to address them
1t an assemblage in Deacon Watson's
voods' at North Bennington, but few
lays subsequent to this visit at our
louse.
A few years previous to the death of
'Ir. Wills | called upon him to inquire if
,Ir. Crittenden had ever told him any
hing in regard to the shooting of the
woman upon the bridge. Mr.. Wills then
nd there told me that Mr. Crittenden
lad given him almost the precise rela-
ion that he had given me and my wife,
Who also distinctly recollects his visit at
ur house and his relation of the Incl
ent as above given. Mr.. Wills also
urther said that he accompanied Mr..
,rittenden to the battle ground, and that
10 there pointed out to him the spot
1here the dead body of the woman was /
exposed upon the bank of the river. j
hen and there made an appointment
lith Mr.. Wills to accompany me to the |
attic ground on the succeeding day,
yhich he did, and identified the spot
there the woman lay, as above stated.
IN one Sixteenth of August, MT many
ears since, | accompanied Prof. A. l.. 8
'erry to the battle ground and to
Sancoick Mill" Mr.. Perry then told i
he that in conversation with Mr.. Daniel 7
iobinson ST., the latter had connected
is grandfather, Dea. Aaron Hubbell,
who was in the battle) with the history
{ the woman who was shot.
On the evening of the same day called :
pom Mr.. Robinson, who gave me the
relation:
Said he, ''My grandfather Hubbell told
ie that on the day succeeding the battle
'hich was Sunday, he accompanied Mrs. +
iov Moses Robinson to the battlefield;
hat just before reaching the bridge f,
Barnet bridge they saw woman lying :
ear it upon tile west bank of the river,
nd that Mrs. Robinson said to him,
Aaron, you remain here and l will go
rst and see that her dress is properly -
then you can come Mr..
Iubbell was then less than twenty years
f age and Mrs. Robinson was the
aughter of Capt Stephen Fay, landlord
f the 'CatamOunt Tavern" and sister
f John Fay, who was killed in the battle.
G. w. ROBINSON.