The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-06-15
Bronze Marker Unveiled in
Memory of Revolution
ary Soldier
WAS MEMBER OF
BOSTON TEA PARTY
Brattleboro Chapter, D. A. R., Program
Successfully Carried Out in West
Wardsboro Cemetery - Occasion a
Memorable One
Especial to The Reformer.)
WEST WARDSBORO. .Jnne

Especial to The Reformer.)
WEST WARDSBORO, June l5.
Exercises attendant upon the unveil-
ing Of a bronze tablet in the village
cemetery here to the memory of Sam
uel Hammond of Boston Tea Party
fame were attended Yesterday after
noon by 250 persons from this and s1r-
founding towns, many coming from
Brattleboro, and it was a memorable
occasion. The tablet previously had
been placed in the marble headstone at
Mr.. Hammond S grave by Brattleboro
chapter, Daughters of the American
ReVolutlon, and was covered with
United States flag, held in place by
white ribbon
The grave had been decorated with
| q handsome bouquet of red carnations
and other flowers, and near the foot
was another flag which later was salut-
ed by the children. Besides being the
occasion for the unveiling of the memo
rial the day was the national flag day.
Samuel Hammond was a soldier Of
the Revolutionary war and was one of
those who on the night of Dee lG, 1913.
disguised themselves as Indians and
boarded two English ships, throwing
342 chests of tea into Boston harbor.
ilt WAS DDIn III Newton, MISS, fGD.
i l2, l74S, moved to West Wardsboro soon
after the Revolutionary war and was
one of the first settlers of the town
The first mills in the town were built
about 1896 and the place now known
as West WardsbOro was called Ham
mond : Mills. A postoffice was estab-
lished during the second term of An
drew Jackson in 1892 and Samuel Ham
mond s son, Peter Hammond, was ap-
pointed postmaster.
The fact that Samuel Hammond was
buried in West Wardsboro came to the
attention of Brattleboro chapter
through a newspaper article by NJ. o.
Howe of Newfane, who was present at
, the unveiling. They at once took
steps to have the grave marked by a
tablet The expense of the tablet was
borne by Herbert Jay Hammond,
great grandson, who is a bank presi-
dent and mayor of Clayton, n. NJ. He
also contributed to the other expenses,
as did his cousin, Albert r. Hammond
5 of Brookline, Mass, another great
:. grandson.
/ Herbert Jay Hammond expected to be
r present with his wife to give the his
5 torieaI address, but the war situation
Il made it inadvisable for him to leave
New Mexico.
{ After dinner in the Baptist church,
! served by the church ladies. the exer-
g cises began at clock with a selec-
. tion by the Wardsboro Cornet band,
: which gave good music throughout the
afternoon. Rev. +. w. Johnson, pastor
J of the West Wardsboro Baptist church,
: offered the invocation, followed by the
!. address of welcome by Mrs. Lyman
! f. Holden, regent of Brattleboro chap
ter.
Mrs. Holden welcomed the citizens of
Wardsboro and assembled guests in be-
half Of Brattleboro chapter. She
called attention to the fact that the
Il organization is purely patriotic, striv
ing to perpetuate the memory of the
: spirit Of the men and women who helped
?, to achieve American independence, and
Y to foster true patriotism and love of
5 countrv by the encouragement of his
u torical research and by the celebration
7, of patriotic anniversaries and the mark
III ing of historic spots. She referred to
e the adoption of the flag of the Union
by Congress on June IA, l777, and
n said:
TO 'fTt was for this, flag and American
y, y, independence that our patriot. in memo
II ry of whom we are placing this tablet
90 today, rendered such valiant service.
= Some little time ago it was brought
to the attention of Brattleboro chanter
as d. a. r., by Mr.. NJ. o. Howe of New
to fame that the body of Samuel Ham
e. mond, a member of the Boston Tea
PIP Party, was buried in the cemetery al
=. West Wardsboro. Immediately oul
ne chapter historian began the task OF
ne proving to the satisfaction of Our ma
y. tional society in Washington that this
OF assertion was correct
When we realize that only about
ne 90 men took part in this heroic deed
lF the Brattleboro chapter feels honoreC
dy to be instrumental in placing a suitabl,
re tablet upon this grave, and | know thu
citizens of West Wardsboro are Justly
IN proud that the burial place of Samue
hammond is in their little cemetery, ST
pleasantly located among the green hill
of Vermont
Samuel Hammond was a youth O
on 25 at the time of the Boston Tea Part
and was living in Newton. Mass IL
had been married to Mary Rogers threr
years, having at that time three chill
dren. He, with others, resented the ae
TO tion taken by the English parliament
ION asserting that taxation without repre-
sentation was unjust. For this reasol
on the night of Dee. l6, 1873, this tar