The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1905-11-24
4 REMARKABLE ANCESTRY
NORFOLK DAUGHTER OF SIXTY
REvoLuTioNlsTs.
DRAMATIC STORY OF FIGHTS

Why should not Norfolk boast a
chapter of the Daughters of the Revo-
luton?
Norfolk has the material for a start
toward such an organization at least
and a good one One Norfolk woman
has a most remarkable revolutionary
ancestry, including sixty relatives
who fought for the flag. In one battle,
at Fort Griswold, nine members of
this one family were killed. In this
engagement seventeen of this family
fought. The name of this Norfolk
daughter of so many revolutionists is
withheld, but the following story of
the family and its fighting is published
with her consent.
Christopher Avery came from Eng
land in the ship Arebella with John
Winthrop. They landed at Salem,
Mass, June 12, 1880. In 1858 he sold
his lands and moved to Boston and
purchased home in the business cen
ter, being located in what is now the
center Of the postoffice building. The
land which was sold for forty pounds
sterling was a small lot, twenty.six by
fortysix feet The Winthrop estate
was not far away, and near by in af-
ter years Benjamin Franklin was born.
Capt. James Avery, the only child
Of Christopher, was born In England
in 1920, He came to America with his
father and the acquaintances formed
on the voyage between Governor Win
Il ho hn, ID i,,4o
friendship
He died in 1900 leaving four sons,
The eldest, James Avery, jr., like his
father, was an important man of af-
fairs.
Many Fighters.
Col Ebenezer Avery, son of James
married Miss Lucy Latham in 1926.
Their daughter, Deborah Avery, was
born February =, 1742. Benjamin Av-
cry was the father of Ensign Daniel
Avery, who was second cousin of De-
borah Avery, whom he married in No
vember 1868. At the time of the revo-
lutionary war they were living with
their young family in Groton, Conn
ensign Daniel Avery with fifty-nine
relatives of the same name, were sol
diers of the revolution. Among the
more prominent were the following:
Lieut.. Elihu Avery, Deborah Avery's
youngest brother, who died in the
army in 1873; Christopher Avery and
Richardson Avery, who were in the
Wyoming massacre; Christopher, an
ensign was killed, Richardson taken
nricnnnr
poral of a company commanded by
Nathan Hale. Captain Oliver Avery
on the breaking out of the revolution
raised a company of minute men on
the Lexington alarm and marched to
Cambridge.
Jonathan Avery entered the service
at the age of nineteen and was order
ly in General Washington's army when
it left New York for Long Island
Simeon Avery was four years an ad
jutant in a Connecticut regiment and
so distinguished himself at German
town, Monmouth, Valley Forge and
Stony Point as to attract the particular
notice of Washington and at his So
licitation was appointed his aide.
Col. Youngs Ledyard, who was killed
at Fort Griswold married Deborah
Avery's sister Mary and her sister
Lucy married George Colfax. Their
son, Gen. William Colfax, was captain
of Washington's life guard, and his
son, Schuyler Colfax, was vice presi-
dent of the United States in 1868. Ft
Griswold was located at Groton, Conn,
the home of most of the Averys.
When this place was attacked in 1881
by Benedict Arnold the garrison was
commanded by Col. William Ledyard
and 167 men. When the gallant col
onel was forced to surrender he hand
ed his sword to the British officer, who
took the weapon and instantly muir
dered him with it.
Many Killed.
Among the garrison at FIT. Griswold
was Deborah Avery's husband, Ensign
Avery, and his brother Sergeant Solo
mon Avery, and her brother Lieuten-
ant Ebenezer Avery, all of the Eighth
regiment, together with thirteen of
her cousins. OF these, her husband,
her husbands brother, her brother and
cousins, Captain Elijah Avery, Capt.
Elisha Avery, Sergeant Christopher
Avery, Sergeant Jasper Avery, David
Avery and Thomas Avery were killed.
Her cousins, Lieutenant Parke Avery,
Ensign Ebenezer Avery and Amos Av-
cry, were wounded and left for dead.
Sergeant Rufus Avery, Peter Avery
and Nathan Avery were carried off as
prisoners. After the battle the wound
ed were carried to the home of Eben-
ezer Avery, which was at the foot of
the heights where many of the dead
and dying were identified by their
friends. The blood stains are still to
be seen, as the owner will not consent
that they should be washed out
nnl 1. 1..fI Il.