The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-29
= P.ArRror1o pHr1IooAr.

Bailey's Patriotic Flannel Petticont.
Ono DIV recently Major Mckinley received
from Groton. Conn, u GOLD Unbeatable bell
in the shape of n woman's petticoat, presented
bv the Thomas Starr Society of tho Children
OF tho Revolution; and thereby hangs n tale,
rs II there could be q petticoat worthy of the
mans that did not have such an appcndagc.
as one ascends that part Of the Thames
River between its mouth and the town OF New
London. which in its relation to society is the
SwaEGcrville of tho Nutmeg State, he may
oosorve ON tho right bank OF the river the mon
ument at Groton and wonder what the dickens
IL Ia. I'll venture that there are people who
have passed In sight Of that noble shaft of
granite, or words to that effect, ne much rs n
hundred limos and don't know any more what
it commentaries than IL they had never seen
II. How careless and indifferent most people
are. III these same persons had only stopped
the boat and gono ashore or jumped Off and
swum out and gone up to the monument they
would have found this Inscription owe! the
entrance, for the monument. like too many
other earthly things, alas! is hollow:
This Monument
neetycnt, u1 4. b. '' i.ss Ii'r S % In q sh shf ss Sta's year q. con,
or the lndependence OF the Z, :. A.,
who fell in tho massacre al f %prt9 ar fs,rlHis near tni,
spot when Sn IN, '"e S Sae Rt us sspiG sae Command Al; % Of ISL
~ the traitor Benedict Arnold
spread Desolation and Woe throughout this region.
Which Is information sufficient for the aver
age person. because there are very 70 persons
who 70 up the Thames or down 1t who don't
Know enough TO know how to get at the bal
ance Of the war tale when they have got this
riucn of IL.
The monument, by the way is forty-two
feet high and cost Sl1, 900, which amount was
raised by u lottery authorized by this State,
said State being the same In which the famous
blue laws blossomed and bloomed.
In the sum ner OF 1881, when the American
and French armies consolida ted and started
Tor NlrEi1ia' having given UP the idea OF
Clinton concluded ti.at il might be interest,
ing to the folks along the Connecticut coast IL
he would send q few nice British officers down
had not yet become a feature of summer re-
s9rti IN that neighborhood and the summer
local scenery. Incidentally lie thought it
might also he somewhat of IA diversion for
the Generals of the American army who had
gone TOO Tar away to come back and interfere
with Sir Henry's arrangements. So the Of
ficerS were sent and they were accompanied by
soldiers, and the soldiers had guns. and the en-
tire combination was under the MANAGEMENT
OF that sweet,scented scion of Connecticut.
ty, and had 1t in Tor his native heath.
What n lovely little angel that Arnold boy
was and how he changed. only for the worse.
80 ~ HNS" NAiNls IpSltIllO anu IulTlOIS UHY
forgive Connecticut for her wooden nutmegs
but never her Benedict, Arnold.
ISL, a British fleet of twenty-four sail APP
pcared off New London harbor and unloaded
Gen. Arnold and his troops OF British and Hes
slams on the honest and thrifty Yankees OF the
ne!ghborhood., Arnold took the New London
side because there was more to be had over
there. and he cent Col. Eyrc-no relation of the
Jane Eyre of stUry-oyer to look after Gro
ton. where Fort Griswold was situated. Fort
Iruribuli being on the west side OF the river.
Rnf II ia mt rRpa. = ~ IN tra ~ "a la hnrr1,,
ing details Mt this late day. Benedict Arnold.
as noted elsewhere, had 1t in :or his native
heath. and when lie and his troops had finished
with, the citizens and the home guards of New
London and Groton, there wasn't much left
Of them but food for worms. Eighty-five were
killed in Fort Griswold. many OF them after
they had surrendered. and 1t is safe to say that
Arnold had been captured at any time By
the citizens OF this section he would have been
OF delight.
What n pity Benny got away.
However. ! am getting slightly ahead of INV |
procession. While the British were ENJOYING |
themselves massacring the Americans in Fort
Bailey. was hugging the shady side OF u fence
IN a corntield adjoining the fort AID making
he could. 1t seems that Elijah, In company
with n young man named Williams. had been
to a small redoubt in front of the fort.
where they, were TO fight until 1T became too
bot. when they were to retreat to the fort. This
did but Elijah in hi yea! TO I'll the b. itish
army full of holes. stayed too long, ard when he
got 10 the door OF the fort, 1t was closed and
locked. and there, being. no side door, Elijah
was left 10 get along the hest way he could.
man would feel hurt IT such treat
and Elijah did, but the enemy vas COM
ing down the road As Maine afterward went for
Gov. .tcnt. and Elijah had no time to hang
around the door ana try to kick a panel in.
so he SHE'D rapidly around the corner. went
over The fence into the corntield. and stretched
himself along the fu-row ont of sight. When
the battle was over. mother and Elijah went
Into the fort and looked over the scene. He
in so much better :ep!r than anybody else
around there that he cane very near insti-
5ltinE The fret ih9nkSEiyinE ever known in
Another thing that male Elijah glad he had
been shut out OF The fot was that he had n
wee theart., "A pretty girl who was six weeks
make any difference to Lille Bailey. He
in, love with the girl. ard a few years
tor contracting rheumatism while hiding in
the corntield, and he wusA't wealthy. he mar
her. and for seventy years they lived hap
PLY together.
One would have suppofed that one infic-
tion like that of 1901 WAS enough, but God
moves in n mysterious way His wonders to per-
form, and wien the war Of 1912 came around.
New London and Groton we're still there. and
The redcoats hadn't forgotten taem.
So We're Mrs. Bailey aid her husband.
In 1919 the British SQUADRON which drove
into the harbor of New London threat
county, and the American forces which manned
The forts hoped to prevent any such cyclonic !
catastrophe, Thus the two hostile forces were
against each other when the Yankees
discovered that they hni run out of flannel
with which TO make cartridges for their can
non. All that could be found in New London
called into service. a,d then n neiEhoor
II Mrs. Bailey's. MIR. Latham. came to Mrs.
in Groton and asked her what she
could do. In seven minutes Mrs. Bailey was
III the warpath, and when she came back she
brought with her all the little petticoats of all
he Lids OF Groton.
Not being versed in artillery lore to the ex-
that she knew how many petticonts were
-equired to load II cannon. she thought, per-
she had enough. ms she had enOu I'll TO
Dad n wheelbnrrow. but wien Latham looked
II the pile he told her There wasn't.
And right here IL whore Mrs. Bailey steps
nto history. and sits down rs n permanent ten
In the Temple of Fame.
You shall have mine, to-" she said in a
one that shall 20 laundering down the corri-
OF time. and cutting tho string of the gar.
nei,t with her scissors she handed II over TO
Mr.. Latham net us hope he was
'yentunl!y promoted TO something higher than
though ouly by that title is he referred
% In history. was satisfied with this addition,
md taking the lot along with HIM. Mrs. Bal.
ey's p%etticoat was soon flying through the air
m its way TO assist IN the utter demolition of
no ruthless invader.
p. S. Accompanying the. Sfl to Major Nc
tinley was u nOem written by Frances Lester
20 Wand. Surely no grapde' subiecL could be
ouEd than, this, and the poem should be pub
ished by all means.