Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-02-04
AN OAKBN GAVEL
or Historic Value Presented by the Sons
to the Daughters OF the American
RevoIutIOn-.-the Westminster Massa-

or Historic Value Presented by the Sons
to the Daughters OF the American
RevoIutIon---the westminster MSssa-
ere RecaIIed---the First Blood Of the
Revolution.
The Brattleboro chapter of the Daugh-
| tiers of the American Revolution is proud
in the possession of gavel which makes
a highly priced emblem in fitness for use
by the chapter and in its historic associ-
atoms. THIS gavel was presented by the
local Sons of the Revolution at a special
meeting, last Saturday evening, at the
home of Mr.. and Mrs. G. f. X. Jenne on
Oak street.
The chapter last year appointed Mrs.
JENNIE and Mrs. c. f. Thompson a com
mittee to procure gavel They determined
If possible to get one which would have
some historic value They obtained the
cooperation Of George A. Hines, with the
result that the consent was obtained from
Mrs. A. j. Stoddard of Westminster TO saw
piece of wood from a sill OF her house.
This sill was originally part of the court
house at Westminster, the scene of the
Westminster massacre where William
French of Brattleboro was killed. His
blood is claimed by Vermonters to have
been the first shed in the Revolution.
Mr. Hines then designed a gavel and
turned the wood to the required shape and
had it handsomely trimmed with sterling
silver 1t is trifle less than a foot long
and the silver face is inscribed civilian
French, Martyr, 1775. Oak from Court
House, Westminster, Vt. To Brattleboro
Chapter ID. A. X. from Brattleboro S. A.
r. After all arrangements were com
pleted Mrs. Jenne issued invitations to the
members of the chapter and to the Brat
tleboro Sons Of the Revolution and their
wives to be present at the meeting Satur-
day night Between 80 and 70 attended
the meeting. The house was decorated
with flags and the chapter colors, blue and
white.
The first number on the program was
piono duet by Miss Jessie Hawley and
Pauline JENNIE. This was followed by a
paper by Mr.. Hines entitled, THE Massa-
ere at the Westminster Court House, March
ID, ITO" 1t was an excellent paper and
embodied graphic account of the memo
rable massacre. Miss 5. +. Daniels of
Grafton, a former pupil of the pianist
Joseffy, made her first appearance in Brat
tlebOro in piano solo which was well re-
deived.
DR.. II. d. Hoton made the presenta-
ton speech, to which the chapter regent,
Mrs. j. j. Estey responded. Refresh
ments were served and the rest of the
evening was spent socially. Souvenirs of
small pieces of wood from the old court
house, given by the committee, and en-
cravings Of the building, given by W. A.
Gilbert, were distributed among the guests
At the close o. the evenings entertain
ment short business meeting was held at
which the new gavel was christened. Mrs.
I A. q. COBB was elected a delegate to the
continental Congress" at Washington.
The claim that the first blood of the
! Revolution was shed at Westminster is dis
! puted in some localities. II is asserted by
some Massachusetts people that the first
| blood was shed at Salem, Feb. 20, 1918.
| Gen. Gage, having learned that the pat
riots were mounting some old cannon, sent
| thther 800 men under Lieut-Col Leslie
/ who met mob 50 large that he decided to
return to Boston Mr.. Winsor, the Massa-
| chusetts historian, says that little prick
ing Of bayonets" is alleged to have taken
place, but he doubts the truth of the allie
| CATION, and in the absence of more definite
! knowledge the instance cannot fairly be
considered A collision between a squad
of British soldiers and a mob in New York
Jan. Is, 1910, has also been cited, but al.
| though there were British troops in this
country to protect the interest of the Brit
ish government, the colonists had not then
determined positively to throw off the
! British yoke. Neither that circumstance
nor a similar one, which occurred in Bos-
ton in March, l770, where three members
of mob were shot by British soldiers,
is classed by historians among the overt
acts Of the Revolution. When the West
Q
ever, the first Continental Congress had as
sembled, the Boston ports had been closed
to British ships and the revolt had begun.
1t was nearly month before "the shot
heard round the world" was fred at Lex
ington. In the light of these facts it ma ,
truthfully be said that B;attleboro fun =
nished the proto-martyr of the American
Revolution.