The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-05-17
BELLOWS FALLS.
HERO OF CIVIL WAR INCIDENT.
Bellows Falls Boy Rescued Confederate
from Drowning-Was Rewarded.

bellows Falls Boy Rescued Confederate
from Drowning-Was Rewarded.
Fifty yeas ago last month an inter
esting incident of the Civil war oc-
CURED near Falmouth, Va in which
Bellows Falls boy acted the hero
Lieut.. William F. Stone of the lst
Maine Cavalry was born in Bellows
Falls in 1922, a son of William Stone
and Lucinda Burt. In an engagement
between the federals and the Black
Horse cavalry of the confederates the
lst Maine was having a part 1t was
on the banks of a river and the Con-
federates started to ford it, but the
current was so strong that lieutenant
named Paine was swept from his horse,
and his comrades, thinking he could
not be rescued, deserted him. Lieut..
Stone, who was well mounted, dashed
into the water and swan his horse to
where the drowning Confederate was
struggling. He caught him by the
hair of the head and drew him to the
shore, thus making a daring rescue of
an )nemv.
Lieut.. Stone was later captured by
the confederates and taken to Rich
mona. The confederate General Wind
er, who had a personal knowledge of
the rescue, promptly released Lieut.
Stone and sent him back to our lines
so he returned to Washington in less
than a week. Lieut.. Stone always
highly pried the personal letter from
Gen. Wider tendereing him uncondi-
tional release for his gallantry in saw
ing Lieut.. Paine at the risk of his
own life.
Later, in the varying fortunes of the
war, Lieut.. Paine was taken a prisoner
by our troops and confined in what
was known as the Old Capitol in
Washington, and Lieut.. Stone learning
of it called upon him there The in
terview was a very interesting one,
hut as there was no such reason for
the release of Paine as there had been
for Stone he could not be given his
liberty, although Stone made the effort.
A son of Lieut.. Stone, Frederick
William, was a soldier, known as the
Drummer Boy of the 10th Maine regi-
mcnt Lieut. Stone died in the sol
diers' home in Togus, Me-, in 1894.
The father of Lieut.. Stone was vii
liam Stone, and his mother Lucinda
Burt, daughter of Leonard Burt, of one
of the very earliest families of this
village. Mr.. Stone came here from
C!aremont as early as 1914 and TO
over 80 years was closely identified
with the business and social interest
of the village. He was a maste
builder of his day and erected man,
of the earlier dwellings,, business build
ings and churches. In 1877 he bull
the first Emmanuel church building
and his agility and daring were show
when the frame of the tower, whic
was Il very high one, was being erect
ed. Only one timber reached the high
est point, and he mounted it and leaE
ed up and down on its end, which wa
scarcely larger than his two feet. Hi
marriage was the first one to tax
place in the new church building, De-
4, 1917. ..>
He lived near what is now the co
ner of Atkinson and Oak streets, an
when he built his house there he CT
the road to it through the forest {
pine trees, there being no house b.
tween the Morgan homestead at til
north and the Charles Hapgood plaC
at the south end of the street II
owned a large section of land no
covered by Atkinson and Gree
streeth reaching from School stree
nearly to Williams street, and Ga
street was cut through his section. &
this tract he built many houses while
he rented.
Mr. Stone had a unique carpent
shop on the west side of Atkinst
street in later years, using horse POI
err in the first story that ran a plane
saws and boring machines in the sc
ond story The horse travelled on Il
edge of circular platform. The sh,
stood in about the present location.
Butterfeld court In March, 1867,
''voted at town meeting the sd co
secutivc time, and during the sar
number of years he had not fail
to attend Christmas eve services
Emmanuel church, of which he W
a valued member He had been me
Der of the Masonic fraternity over
years. His reputation was that of
outright and honest man. He di
in his home here Dee. 3, 1870, at t
age of II years.