The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-06-30
Furnishing A TORY.

The Granville, N. Y, Sentinel, last
week, published an account of local in
terest to some of our readers, as well as
those for whom the story was, primarily,
intended The Sidney o. Wright, re-
ferred to, died in Cambridge a few years
ago, and has son, DR.. Albert W., lead
ing dentist of Troy, N. Y. Another son
is lawyer and led the crusade at Sara
toga against rebel textbooks, that we
commented on at the time. The "COok
family" are, also, well known. The SEN
tinel said: This year of '93 scores a
century since the special event of local
and almost dramatic interest now for the
first time recorded, took place in your
town of Granville rnta fa Hau 9.r
The present writer was not on the
scene OF action, of course, but will state
by way of introducing the subject that
his informant was Moses Cook, then q
lad of ten, who, with his father, Samuel
Cook, was an eyewitness. .rfHu.Ei-
The home of the Cooks formerly was
at the left of the road as one passes q
bright stream, say mile or so from
Granville village on the Wells and Paw
let road, but lately had moved to South
Hartford and were temporarily in town
at the time we write. Hr' lHig.a8
Samuel Cook was soldier in the Con-
tinental array during the war Of the
American Revolution and with his COM
pany was stationed at Hoosick in the
summer of 1777 to guard military stores
and supplies at that place and at Ben
nington; also to keep communicate on
open between the New England colonies
and the headquarters of Schuyler on the
Hudson. Having quite large family to
care for, sometime in the month of July
he obtained an order allowing visit ia
them for day or two Necessity com
PEELED the journey on foot ~, The weather
being sultry he thought best to travel by
night as much as practicable, there be-
ing fair moon at the time. Being well
aware that portions of of the route were
patrOled by paid emissaries of Burgoyne
he proceeded with prOpOrtiOnate eau
ton, particularly in the night time.
Twelve o'clock of Sabbath night
found him walking briskly along an en-
bankment or dug way beyond South
Granville near the present residence OF
Justin Beebe, Esq, happy in the thought
that he is out of reach of spies probably,
that daylight would see him an un'
looked for guest surrounded by his
family in his own loved home, when
suddenly a 'clickn struck on the air,
that to ears trained like his, could not be
misnamed. Hating an instant to get
the direction of the sound the familiar
"click' was repeated. Nothing suspic-
ious was seen; trees and brush being
thick upon either side. However, as
fortune would have it, while gazing i'll the
true direction second repetition took
place, succeeded by flash of powder
beneath which he saw distinctly the
CLINT of musket barrel, with human
face behind it and near by. tahHsla,
AS no explos on followed, startled as
he was, equanimity was soon restored,
but that face had made its ineffaceable
impress. Cook had been accustomed at
times to attend church service with
Congregationalists in the south part of
the town. An idea involuntarily came tO
his mind, that he had seen that face
among the people up that way. With nc
further adventure he reached home, and
at the expiration of his furlough was at
his post of duty; served in the field
through the eventful August 16 and was
of the detail that had charge of the com
forts of Tory and other prisoners for
tunate enough to secure free lodgings
for the night in the old Bennington
church, using all scrutiny the rigid rules
of war would allow to get clew to a
face that by its familiarity had become
hateful, finding no counterpart to the
ld-midnight assassin. .....-...... ~.
Fifteen or sixteen years rolled along,
the matter remaining in sort of abey-
ance; and to return to the direct time of
our story. Lieutenant Wright, who lived
on the hill at Middle Granville, little
above and opposite the Catholic church,
was having an old -fashion barn raising
on the day Samuel Cook and son, Moses,
happened to be in town: as was the
friendly custom in those days, presuma
bly, every man and boy of the surround
ng region would be there. The Cooks
thought to improve the occasion to the
shaking of hands with former acquaint.
ances and have social time with rela-
tives who were numerous in and around
that village. .s.l .-...,....
The raising" went on briskly till the
body of the frame was up, under the per.
sonal direction of Lieutenant Wright
himself boss builder, the purline tim
bers in place ready to be erected, When
to the surprise of every one Wright
stepped to the front plate and said
tiO VI JCO ..
deferred until Tomorrow morning at
O'Clock. invite you one and all tc
meet me here at that hour.
Without explanation, swinging himself
down from the framework, he stepped
inside the crowd of men and boys stand.
ing about, accosted an apparent stranger
with "Your name is --, sir?' The
stranger replied by shake of his head
Wright rejoined: 'You stole my OK en-
drove them to the camp of Burgoyne anC
sold them. Your name is - and
vowed by all that was good and i'll Z
shoot you at sight and by -- III
do it, started leisurely toward his home
The bystanders gave little heed to thi
episode, intent as they we're partlking y
customary refreshment till Lieutenan
Wright was seen returning musket il
hand. Then an idea began to buzz abon
that there was business job at hand
Evidently the stranger shifted DANCE
and rather than become a musketeer