Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1891-07-31
From the Washington Post. !
mother LIVING Daughter.

Another LIVING Daughter
Editor Post AS quite a number Of
interesting notices have recently APP
| peared in your columns of the living
sons and daughters of Revolutionary
! heroes, allow me to add one more
name to that rapidly diminishing roll
OF honor, viz, that of Mrs Henrietta
B.-Lee, Of Shepherdstown. Jefferson
county, West Virginia Mrs Lee is
the last surviving child Of Major Daniel
Bedinger, who entered captain. after
wards generaD Hugh Stephenson's
| company, which organized one hun
dred strong at Shepherdstown on
days notice, it is said, and marched
to the relief of Boston. Young Bed
niger was not sixteen years old at the
time, and his parents opposing his de-
| sire to enter the service so young, he
ran away from home and joined the
company ell route. He was in the bat
tie of the Brandywine, captured, and
for long time confined in the British
! prison hulks in New York harbor
where from sickness and neglect he
nearly died. When exchanged he re
joined the army and served continu-
ously throughout the war, having
been a participant in many engage
ments, and was mustered out of ser
vice with his command at Charleston.
S. c., in 1888
Lieut.: Daniel Bedinger, Of the Nir-
| GINA line on continental establish
ment. entered the service in July, 177G,
and continued in active service until
the dismission of the army in South
Carolina in 1888" See Staffell's rec
ords OF the revolutionary war.
Major Bedinger was appointed by
President jefferson naval agent at the
Gosport navy yard, at Norfolk, Va,
in which position he served many
years, and, a. the official records show,
with honor and efficiency.
/ After retiring from that position,
about 1910. he returned to his home at
Shepherdstown, where he erected a
| handsome and commodious mansion,
! just outside Of the town, aud COM
handing magnificent view of it and
| the historic Potomac. 1t may not in
appropriately be stated here that this
mansion had on its front pOrtico four
| ,a houag nd .p If
which were made from the mast> of
the famous revolutionary frigate,
Constitution. During the civil war
! this hOnOred mansion was burned by
order of Gen. David Hunter, /. :. ~.
! while commanding in the Shenandoah
! Valley. The necessity for this order
has never been made apparent to
! those who were the immediate suffer
! ers. Mrs. Lee is the widow Of the late
venerable Edmund |. Lee, who al
| though a first cousin Of Gen. Robert
! f. Lee. and also nephew Of the Gel
ebrated Light Horse Harry, was
| strong union man and bitterly OPP
/ DOSti ~ StNtSSlDil llC NuS "a
grandson OF the patriot, orator and
statesman, Richard Henry Lee, and
at the time of the burning was absent
| from home.
Mrs. Lee is nowin her eighty-second
year, in full possession of her facul-
ties, and the last of large family Of
children, all of whom were like their
distinguished father, characterized by
brlliancy of intellect and great YER
satility of talent. Major Bedinger
was lieutenant in the revolutionary
army, and the title of major was only
n complimentary soubriquet conferred
upon him by the community in which
he lived He died in the year 1918,
greatly honored and respected.
THORNTON \. WASHINGTON.